March 6 (UPI) — French major TotalEnergies said Monday it took steps necessary to support “energy sovereignty” in Poland by building up its portfolio of biogas and solar power in the Eastern European country.
For undisclosed terms, TotalEnergies said it acquired Polska Grupa Biogazowa (PGB), the main biogas producer in Poland.
Biogas, known also as renewable natural gas, comes from the decomposition of organic matter, usually in the form of dairy farm manure or waste deposited in landfills. That decomposition gives off methane, which is concentrated and purified for delivery to consumers as an alternative to conventional natural gas.
Natural gas is important for Poland. A former Soviet republic, Poland before the outbreak of war in Ukraine last year relied almost entirely on Russia for its natural gas.
PGB owns and operates more than a dozen biogas facilities in Poland. The acquisition, meanwhile, means TotalEnergies has enough biogas in its portfolio to support the annual gas consumption of 4 million French consumers, making it Europe’s second-largest producer.
Elsewhere, the French company said it entered Poland’s solar market with six solar projects in various stages of development that would have 200 megawatts of output once completed.
“With these two transactions, we are pleased to be able to support Poland in its ambition to develop renewable energies and strengthen its energy sovereignty,” said Stephane Michel, the president of gas, renewables and power at TotalEnergies.
Russia has long been accused of using its vast oil and gas riches for geopolitical gain. To address bloc-wide dependencies, European lawmakers said earlier this year that member states need to find enough renewable natural gas to replace 20% of average Russian gas imports annually.
Member states should eventually phase out fossil fuels altogether, members of Parliament added.
