Highlights of the December 2025 soNews blogletter

The French biomethane sector is continuing to grow, with installed biomethane production capacity exceeding 15 TWh by mid-2025. However, this performance poses a challenge: how can we make the most of the surplus biomethane produced locally, particularly in the summer, when gas consumption falls? Answer: reverse flow stations. These stations reverse the traditional flow of gas to reinject excess biomethane into the NaTran transmission network. With them, there's no need to discontinue the production of methanisation units. Renewable gas continues to circulate, finding outlets in new urban and industrial areas, as well as storage sites. Reverse flow stations therefore play a local economic role, securing markets for agricultural products, supporting employment and strengthening the energy autonomy of the regions.

With 33 reverse flow stations in service and 45 new systems under construction or under study, NaTran is making essential changes to its network. The aim is to exceed one hundred reverse flow stations by 2030 to help increase the share of renewable gas in France’s gas consumption. With a focus on exemplary eco-design and controlled costs, NaTran is turning reverse flow stations into accelerators of the energy transition throughout France!

The H2med Alliance steps up a gear! It has expanded to include 40 new European industrial members, bringing the total to 49. It has strong political support, which has been reaffirmed, for the deployment of the most advanced renewable and low-carbon hydrogen corridor on the continent, connecting the Iberian Peninsula, France and Germany. H2med is supported by the gas transmission operators NaTran, Enagás (Spain), OGE (Germany), REN (Portugal) and Teréga (France).

At the same time, the H2Med project is making progress. A key milestone was reached when the in-depth geotechnical and engineering studies confirmed the technical feasibility of the BarMar hydrogen pipeline, which will link Barcelona and Marseille. Its commercial service launch date is becoming clearer: it will be in 2032. The momentum is here.
 

Hydrothermal gasification (GH) takes a step forward. With the commissioning in 2026 of an industrial pilot plant developed by SUEZ in Gironde, France, the technology is entering a new phase to transform the treatment of organic waste and produce a renewable gas that can be fed into the networks. Soon capable of recovering up to 150 litres of effluents per hour, this pilot plant will be a first in France. Since 2018, NaTran has played a central role in the development and structuring of the hydrothermal gasification sector. It continues its actions—regulatory facilitation, dialogue with stakeholders, etc.—to pave the way for a competitive, low-carbon sector.

The SmHYre test platform at the NaTran R&I research and innovation centre has added a new tool: a test bench dedicated to domestic hydrogen meters. It comes to strengthen this unique platform in Europe, dedicated to the calibration, qualification and study of metering systems. Its role is to support the creation of a new technological sector around hydrogen, renewable gases and CO₂. Supported by Bpifrance and the Île-de-France Region, SmHYre is fully in line with the NaTran 2030 corporate project, which is committed to developing the transport of all gases that contribute to the energy transition.

• 5
  The number of prospective scenarios studied by ADEME to explore the paths to carbon neutrality in 2050. A nationwide exercise, in which NaTran is associated with the gas networks.
• 3 years
  This is the term of office of Pierre Duvieusart, Deputy Managing Director of NaTran, who has been appointed Chairman of the European Network of Transmission System Operators for Gas (ENTSOG), which brings together the European gas transmission operators.

On 13 November, the latest #NaTranOnAir LinkedIn Live was devoted to the decarbonisation of French industries. At the microphone, Bruno Lestrade (decarbonisation expert at NaTran) gave the floor to stakeholders from the Fos‑Marseille industrial‑port area so that they could tell us about their efforts and their ability to invent the low-carbon industry of tomorrow.

From 27 to 29 January 2026, at Paris Expo Porte de Versailles, Hyvolution will bring together companies, experts and institutions from over 60 countries to discuss the major challenges facing the hydrogen industry. Over 10 years, the event has become the international benchmark for industry stakeholders. Come and talk to us at the NaTran stand in Hall 1!