Tree Energy Solutions (TES) is joining forces with TotalEnergies to study and develop a large-scale production unit in the U.S. for e-natural gas (e-NG), a synthetic gas produced from renewable H₂ and CO₂.

The project, which is expected to produce 100,000 metric tpy−200,000 metric tpy of e-NG, will be equally owned by the partners and operated by TotalEnergies. This partnership combines TES’s e-NG gas know-how with TotalEnergies’ expertise in renewable power generation, large-scale project management and natural gas liquefaction (LNG).

The e-NG will be produced in two steps:

• To produce renewable H₂, a 1-gigawatt (GW) electrolyzer will be powered by approximately 2 GW of wind and solar energy supplied by TotalEnergies through long-term power purchase agreements (PPAs).
• This renewable H₂ will then be combined with biogenic CO₂ to obtain the e-NG.

The resulting e-NG produced can be transported and/or liquefied, then sold like natural gas, using existing infrastructure, and end customers will be able to use it without any adaptation to their facilities. TotalEnergies and TES will carry out the preliminary studies and aim to reach a final investment decision (FID) in 2024. The project is expected to benefit from tax credits under the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act (IRA).

“We are pleased to partner with TES to pioneer development of the e-NG industry. This synthetic fuel will contribute to the energy transition by helping our customers to decarbonize their activities, notably the ones that are difficult to electrify. This product presents two significant advantages. First, it does not require new logistical infrastructure since e-NG and natural gas have the same properties and can therefore be mixed in existing infrastructures. Second, our customers will not have to change their current industrial processes,” said Stéphane Michel, President, Gas, Renewables & Power at TotalEnergies. “The U.S. has many advantages for the development of our first e-NG project, including well-developed gas infrastructure, growing renewable power generation capacity, and significant public subsidies.”

“The strategic cooperation with TotalEnergies is an important milestone towards large-scale e-NG production. Our purpose and vision are to accelerate the race to zero emissions and the development of H₂. The innovative business model developed by TES will help to diversify the European and Asian energy mix, making affordable renewable energy available. This groundbreaking project testifies to the effectiveness of the IRA in the U.S. Today’s announcement confirms that cooperation among all players is what will make the energy transition possible,” said Marco Alverà, Chief Executive Officer of TES.