The world’s bioenergy capacity has been constantly increasing since 2009, exceeding 126,000 megawatts in 2020. In the same year, French production capacity overcome 1,850 megawatts.
However, bioenergy industry development in France is not homogeneous between regions. Bioenergetic power is better connected to the electric grid in the Paris region than in Brittany. The regional electricity mix also highlights major differences. Nouvelle-Aquitaine proudly shows that three percent of its electricity consumption came from bioenergy sources in 2021, while the country averaged at two percent.
Coming from biomass and therefore from non-fossil materials, biofuels represent a booming market. As proof in 2020, the world production of these agrofuels has increased. In fact global biofuel production levels reached 1,677 thousand barrels of oil equivalent per day, in stark comparison to the 187 thousand barrels of oil equivalent per day that was produced in 2000.
The same phenomenon can be observed on a national level. French biofuel production was below 1,300 barrels of oil equivalent in 2005, but had quadrupled in 2020.
Moreover, the growth of the sector, and of the bioenergy industry in general is transforming the region. Thanks to new infrastructures installation throughout France, the country is trying to shift into more sustainable energy sources.
If production capacities have been able to increase this way, it is also thanks to a sharp increase in jobs creation. In the biogas sector, the number of direct jobs doubled between 2010 and 2017. The growth rate is similar for industry turnover, with nearly 1,200 million euros generated in 2020.
