TERÉGA: Making gas a pillar of the energy transition

Less well known than its counterpart GRTgaz, Teréga is the second largest natural gas transmission system operator in France.

For more than 75 years, the group has been ensuring the development of gas infrastructures in the South-West. A historic player in gas storage, Teréga plays a decisive role in the energy transition.

The company strongly affirms the place of renewable and low-carbon gases in the future energy mix for a more sustainable future. It builds innovative multi-energy solutions, particularly around biomethane and hydrogen. Discovery.

Who is Teréga: history and organization

The Teréga company emerged from Société Nationale de Gaz du Sud-Ouest (SNGSO) created after the war in 1945.

Over time and through acquisitions, becoming the property of GDF and Total, the company Gaz du Sud-Ouest (GSO) is responsible for exploiting the Lacq natural gas field discovered in 1951 and creating the associated transport network.

The Teréga company in its current form was officially founded in 2005, in the context of the opening of energy markets to competition. Total becomes the sole shareholder. At its creation, Teréga was called TIGF, acronym for “Total Infrastructures Gaz France”, then “Transport and Infrastructure Gaz France”.

Today Teréga is no longer a subsidiary of Total. La public limited company is owned by a consortium of shareholders, bringing together the Italian transport and gas operator Snam, the Singapore State Fund GIC, EDF and Prédica, Crédit Agricole's insurance subsidiary.

What are Teréga's activities?

Actor of gas transport and storage, Teréga has been diversifying its activities since the end of the 2010s, by supporting the development of renewable and low-carbon gases.

The transport of gas

Teréga operates more than 5,000 kilometers of gas pipes in the Grand Sud-Ouest Territory, at the crossroads of European and national flows connecting the North and South zones. Its infrastructures represent nearly 16% of the French gas pipeline network.

Responding to his public service mission, Teréga transports more than 140,000 GWh of natural gas per year and serves nearly 450 delivery stations.

Spread over 15 departments, around 110 industrial companies and 150 public distributors are connected to its network. On a daily basis, the company pursues a constant objective: to provide its customers with safe and efficient gas infrastructures, sized to the volume of flows.

Teréga a co-built with GRTgaz the Trading Region France (TRF). Open on 1^Er November 2018, this national single gas market area is based on the principle “one country, one price” and guarantees end consumers equitable, secure and smooth access to gas.

Natural gas storage

Teréga is a historical player in gas storage in France, with the commissioning of the Lussagnet underground storage site in 1957 in Landes, followed in 1981 by the opening of the Izaute underground storage site in Gers.

Teréga's storage sites supply natural gas to South-West France, as well as part of Spain and the rest of France, with natural gas. Their role is decisive for ensure security of supply of these territories and cover peak consumption.

With a total storage capacity of 6.5 Gm³ - or 25.4% of French capacity -, Teréga is one of the main players in gas storage in France.

The development of biomethane

Convinced that renewable and low-carbon gases are a key to the energy mix of tomorrow, Teréga is committed to the development of biomethane.

The company adapt its gas networks to transport biomethane and increase injection capacities. The network now has 7 biomethane injection stations.

Teréga also supports the development of the biomethane sector. The company supports agricultural and industrial methanization projects by carrying out feasibility studies and connecting production to its networks.

The development of hydrogen

It is with the same spirit that Teréga works for the development of Hydrogen in France.

The group is working onadaptation of gas infrastructures to allow the injection and transport of hydrogen. He is also studying Hydrogen storage possibilities in Power to Power, via his HyGéo research project.

The principle is to store electricity in the form of hydrogen, then to transform the gas back into electricity when the demand for energy increases.

Teréga is also carrying out several studies on renewable hydrogen production, made from photovoltaic electricity.

Teréga is finally participating in European Hydrogen Backbone Project (European Hydrogen Backbone (EHB). The objective? Deploy by 2040 an interconnected European hydrogen transport network of more than 50,000 kilometers and connecting 28 countries.

The HySoW project by Teréga is part of this collective approach. He plans the construction of 600 kilometers of pipes dedicated to the transport of hydrogen in the South-West, with an estimated capacity of 16 TWh per year.

Teréga's challenges

Faced with the climate, energy and environmental challenge, Teréga is carrying out ambitious projects to optimize energy consumption and limit the environmental impact of its gas activities.

Building a smart multi-energy network

Since 2019, Teréga has been wearing the IMPULSE 2025 project, with the ambition to build an intelligent and interconnected multi-energy transport network. The objective? Create synergies between natural gas, electricity, heat, biomethane and hydrogen

Through innovative digital solutions, Teréga aims to maximizing the use of energy resources. It is a question of storing energy losses for later use or of transforming them into more requested or adapted energy. This new energy is then delivered to customers according to their immediate needs.

While the principle is simple, putting it into practice is complex. It requiresinterconnect networks And of manage the production and consumption of several energy flows in real time.

Reducing the environmental impact of gas activities

Teréga is committed to limiting the environmental impact of gas activities through its BE POSITIVE program. The group aims to reach carbon neutrality In 2050, in line with the Paris Agreement. To succeed, Teréga relies on the Avoid — Reduce — Compensate (ERC) principle.

Renewal of the compression park, implementation of technologies that reduce CO2 emissions, mechanical maintenance and “zero phyto” of pipe easements, preservation of biodiversity in infrastructure projects, consumption of 100% renewable electricity: thanks to these decarbonization actions, Teréga was able to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 32% and its methane emissions by 21% between 2017 and 2022.

A major player in gas transport and storage in France, Teréga has diversified its activities, carrying out ambitious projects for the development of renewable and low-carbon gases. Determined, the company is participating with GRTgaz in making gas an accelerator of the energy transition for a more sustainable and carbon-free world.