France has published a draft decree following a meeting of the National Biogas Group that proposes extending its national renewable gas support scheme to encompass pyrolysisPyrolysis is a thermochemical process that converts waste biomass into bio-char, bio-oil, and pyro-gas. It offers significant advantages in waste valorization, turning low-value materials into economically valuable resources. Its versatility allows for tailored products based on operational conditions, presenting itself as a cost-effective and efficient More and gasificationGasification is a high-temperature, thermochemical process that converts carbon-based materials into a gaseous fuel called syngas and solid by-products. It takes place in an oxygen-deficient environment at temperatures typically above 750°C. Unlike combustion, which fully burns material to produce heat and carbon dioxide (CO2​), gasification More technologies. The regulatory proposal would allow wood-processing facilities utilizing thermochemical conversion pathways to access long-term off-take support under the Biogas Production Certificate (CPB) mechanism. This development enables developers like GazoTech and its technology partner, CHAR Technologies, to align thermochemical infrastructure projects with national decarbonization targets extending through 2041.

Historically, commercial developers deploying high-temperature pyrolysis platforms faced policy constraints under the existing CPB framework, which restricted financial incentives exclusively to anaerobic digestion and landfill gas capture. Without formal inclusion in state-level compliance obligations, thermochemical conversion projects struggled to secure bankable, long-term power purchase agreements and offtake guarantees. This regulatory gap created valuation hurdles for biochar-producing facilities that generate renewable natural gas alongside solid biocarbon outputs.

To address these financing and regulatory barriers, the French government’s proposed draft decree expands CPB eligibility to cover thermochemical processes, requiring natural gas suppliers to surrender certificates proportional to their delivery volumes. This policy adjustment directly supports commercial initiatives such as GazoTech’s Bio-Méthane Provence project in Gardanne—a facility designed to process 115,000 tonnes of recovered wood annually to yield 230 GWh of renewable natural gas and 12,000 tonnes of biocarbon. Inclusion in the CPB framework provides the necessary off-take predictability for such facilities to achieve final investment decisions.

The extension of the CPB scheme through 2041 reinforces France’s broader trajectory toward injecting 44 TWh of biomethane into its national grid by 2030. By recognizing pyrolysis alongside biological digestion, the policy creates a structured mechanism for scaling co-located renewable natural gas and biocarbon production. Project developers operating in Europe can leverage these long-term market signals to establish bankable industrial assets that contribute to both grid decarbonization and sustainable carbon material supply chains.