The announcement by Barbara Pompili of the drastic reduction in the use of gas heating in new construction left the industry speechless. Through the voice of their presidents, the French Gas Association, which represents the sector, and the Coénove association, which promotes renewable gas in the energy mix, have expressed their disappointment.

"To be sincere, there are two feelings that dominate. The first is surprise. I am surprised in particular by the brutality of the announcements concerning individual houses. priority issue in terms of decarbonization. The other feeling is disappointment. It is disappointing that the switch from natural gas to renewable gas has not been taken into account".

Bernard Aulagne, president of Coénove, an association that brings together players in the gas sector around issues of energy performance and renewable energies, did not try to hide the unpleasant effect of Barbara Pompili's announcements on the place given to heating in the gas in the future RE 2020.

A feeling shared by Patrick Corbin, president of the AFG, the professional union of the French gas industry: "We are disappointed with the political intention expressed: the RE2020 provides for the exit of gas in new housing; from the entry decrees will come into force in 2021 for individual houses and from 2024 for collective housing. While the natural gas network will be increasingly renewable by 2050, the government is ignoring renewable gases for new housing", he lamented in a statement.

%%ARTICLELIE:2117504%%

Renewable gas

"Why didn't you make any reference to renewable gas or what it can bring?" Bernard Aulagne also wonders. "It is all the more regrettable that there is a project, the methaneuf project (renewable gas for collective housing), which has been on the administration desk for more than a year and which has not been While efforts are being directed towards the supply of renewable gas to industry and mobility, there is room to develop biomethane in buildings, accompanied by real energy efficiency work ."

The sector, which does not express itself on a possible impact of these restrictions on its activity, nevertheless wishes to warn of certain economic consequences.

"The debate concerning the electric peak remains central and will have to be addressed", insists Patrick Corbin. “Indeed, while these homes will gain in energy efficiency, they will increase peak load, from 200,000 to 400,000 new homes going electric each year.”

Inflation

For his part, Bernard Aulagne points to the increase in construction costs: "The announcement of a 30% drop in the Bbio is extremely ambitious. We must be at -10, -15% currently. This will be very difficult for manufacturers to obtain in terms of additional costs."

Another nebulous point for the sector: if the AFG and Coénove appreciated the stated desire not to favor the return of electric heating by Joule effect, no concrete measures have been announced, "in particular concerning the level of the Cep nr, for move from wishful thinking to reality” points out Bernard Aulagne. “We are awaiting clarification as to the criteria for excluding him,” confirms Patrick Corbin.

"Anyway, concludes Bernard Aulagne, the gas sector will mobilize to show that it can be at the rendezvous of new construction."