Cristal Union takes 10% stake in TotalEnergies’ biogas unit

French sugar maker Cristal Union will take a 10% stake in TotalEnergies' biogas unit in BioNorrois, France, which is due to be launched later this year.
BioNorrois will produce nearly 100 gigawatt hours (GWh) per year at launch, and reach a maximum capacity of 153 GWh per year.
The unit will utilise sugar beet residue from one of Cristal Union's factories.
Cristal Union, which is France's second-largest sugar producer, will provide beet pulp as biogas plant feedstock for 15 years.
This will constitute more than half of the 185,000 metric tons of material to be processed by the plant at its launch, according to the companies.
The remainder will be made up of agrifood waste sourced by the French energy group.
So far the pulp coming out of Cristal Union's sugar plant, located in Fontaine-le-Dun, northwestern France, has been used in animal feed, according to a Cristal Union spokesperson.
The organic fertiliser obtained in addition to biogas will be distributed to Cristal Union's cooperative members located nearby, they said.