French CMM Firm Extends Total's Contract

France’s main coal mine methane (CMM) producer said October 2 it has renewed its supply contract to Total. It did not disclose the annual volume, which in any case would be modest.

Since 2015, La Francaise de l'Energie (LFDE) has captured gas in former mines and injected it into the French GRT network. It has just extended that gas supply contract to Total Gas & Power.

CMM volumes delivered to Total will ramp up from end-2018 with the installation on the Avion site of three Siemens-made electric motors to compress the gas. The first of these has just been installed, noted LFDE. The new motors will “significantly increase the production capacity and thus profitability” of its site at Avion in northern French region of Nord-Pas de Calais.

It expects the other two electric motors to be installed by end-2018 and to start the enhanced production in early 2019.