France increases biogas tariffs

France is set to increase its feed-in tariffs for biogas installations and small photovoltaic (PV) systems, says the Ministry of Ecology, Sustainable Development and Energy.

The feed-in tariff for electricity produced by cogeneration installations running on biogas will be raised for both new and existing installations.

On a project basis, depending on individual size and feedstock used, the increase will be between 10 and 20%.

A 300 kW anaerobic digestion unit that uses cow manure from approximately 200 cows, for example, will increase its annual income by between €40,000 and €50,000.

The ministry also doubled the price premium given to building-integrated PV installations of up to 100 kWp in capacity to 10%.

For an installation with a capacity of 100 kWp, the increase will earn an additional EUR 1,500 (USD 1,660) per year.

The Ministry also decided to double the size of its tender for mid-sized PV power plants to 240 MW in three batches of 80 MW.

France recently also adopted a law to set an ambitious target of sourcing 32% of its energy demand from renewable sources by 2030.