GRDF : Who we are

GRDF: The first gas distributor to align its decarbonization trajectory with the Paris Agreement   

GRDF unveils an ambitious decarbonization plan to achieve the "well below 2°C" target of the Paris Agreement. This plan is based on accelerating the development of renewable gases and reducing its greenhouse gas emissions, along with those of its customers. 

“We are convinced that gas will play an essential role in decarbonizing France. Thanks to renewable gases and pragmatic, affordable solutions already available to all gas customers, we will contribute to meeting the commitments of the Paris Agreement.” Laurence Poirier-Dietz, CEO  

This decarbonization trajectory focuses on three major pillars: 

• Support all gas consumers in reducing their carbon footprint.
• Achieve the target of 20% renewable gas in the networks by 2030.
• Accelerate its own decarbonization by halving its greenhouse gas emissions by 2030.

The longest natural gas network in Europe   

• A 205,809 km gas network, equivalent to five times the Earth’s circumference
• 241 TWh of natural gas delivered
• A dynamic company
• 11,500 employees
• 700 work-study apprentices
• 590 permanent staff recruited (in 2020)
• 437 new work-study apprentices recruited in 2020

An energy carrier serving local and regional areas

• 11 million customers in France
• 9,583 municipalities served by the gas distribution network
• 77% of the French population lives in a municipality with a gas network operated by GRDF
• 615 anaerobic digestion sites connected to gas networks
• 514 of which are operated by GRDF

Our profile

GRDF is Europe's largest gas distributor and the third largest worldwide. We interact with energy players to offer the best gas expertise to our customers and partners.

GRDF at a glance   

We interact with players in the energy sector on a daily basis. We primarily work with local and regional authorities, who are the owners of their networks. We also interact with natural gas suppliers that have signed distribution contracts with GRDF.  

We are also in regular contact with other stakeholders in the energy world, from public organizations to energy opinion leaders, including professional federations and consumer associations.  
 
Our role as a distributor is to deliver gas to our customers and to maintain, operate and develop the natural gas distribution network with innovative solutions such as the rollout of smart meters.  
 
Under the terms of our public service mission, we guarantee that gas is supplied under the best conditions of quality, safety, performance, and cost, and we give all gas suppliers access to the network on a fully impartial basis. We are also committed to ensuring that the environmental footprint of our operations is as low as possible by reducing greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere and promoting technologies that produce renewable, carbon-neutral gas for uses ranging from heating to transport. 

A little history

Prior to the privatization of energy production and supply in France, Gaz de France had been providing gas distribution services for over 60 years.  
In 2007, new legislation introduced a competitive marketplace for the supply of natural gas, giving consumers the freedom to choose their supplier, while transport, distribution, and network management activities remained under public service obligations.  
Since its creation on 31^st December 2007, GRDF has been responsible for operating the distribution system. It is a neutral, impartial, and independent subsidiary of the ENGIE Group. 

Our commitment to social responsibility   

GRDF's actions to achieve our goals actively support our Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) commitments and are based on pillars aligned with our stakeholders’ growing environmental and social expectations. Our ambition is to provide France with a pathway toward decarbonization. 

As a company performing a public service mission, we have a highly developed CSR policy. The key pillars of our policy, which are fully integrated into our day-to-day activities, are the safety of the network we manage – this being our topmost priority because human life is at stake; a substantial reduction in our greenhouse gas emissions, which will help guarantee the success of France’s strategy outlined in its Energy Transition legislation; and a commitment to reducing our environmental impact through the development of renewable gases, mainly through waste recovery processes such as anaerobic digestion and pyro-gasification. These efforts will ensure that gas plays its part as a future energy source in the ecological transition. 

Our strategy for a more sustainable future

Our decarbonization mission is based on three main pillars: increase renewable gas production fivefold, halve our operational emissions, and help our partners and customers reduce their carbon footprint. GRDF is taking action to give as many people as possible the choice of reliable, efficient, renewable, safe, and affordable energy, embedded in local and regional life. 

Our decarbonization mission   

GRDF has launched its new four-year business plan. The plan is firmly focused on supporting the ecological transition with an adapted network, employees committed to energy efficiency, and ultimately, 100% renewable gas.

Decarbonization is the key behind all our actions and initiatives. More than a benchmark gas distributor, GRDF’s goal is to become an infrastructure manager of the future, supporting the planet's decarbonization efforts. We have the means, the capability, and the capacity. 

Being instrumental in the decarbonization of our planet by strengthening the development of renewable gases, supporting our customers in reducing their carbon footprint, and drastically reducing our own greenhouse gas emissions, requires a profound transformation of our company, for the benefit of all. As a public service operator driven by a strong sense of purpose, we are convinced that gas plays a vital role in the French energy mix, provided it is decarbonized and adapted to new uses. 

GRDF has launched its new four-year business plan. This plan is firmly focused on supporting the ecological transition with an adapted network, employees committed to energy efficiency, and ultimately, 100% renewable gas. 

Ensure a sustainable model for the development of renewable gas

Our ambitious goal of achieving decarbonization represents a shared mission for GRDF and the planet. By mobilizing all our resources, we are determined to become a key player in the energy transition by developing renewable gases, supporting our customers, and reducing our carbon footprint. Our commitment demonstrates our determination to build a sustainable future while staying true to our values and public service mission. 

A transition plan for massive decarbonization

Decarbonization is the key driver that guides all our actions and initiatives. More than just a leading gas distributor, we aim to become a manager of resilient, forward-looking infrastructure dedicated to decarbonizing the planet. We have the resources, we have the capabilities, and we are deeply committed to it. 

Being instrumental in the decarbonization of our planet, by strengthening the development of renewable gases, assisting our customers in reducing their carbon footprint, and drastically reducing our own greenhouse gas emissions, means a profound transformation for our company that would benefit everyone. As public service players driven by a powerful purpose, we are convinced that gas plays a vital role in the French energy mix, provided it is decarbonized and put to new uses.

Renewable gases: an essential response for the local and regional energy policy 

As a trusted local player, GRDF is deeply involved in the development of renewable gases from their production to their distribution. We are constantly adapting our network to accommodate more renewable gases and optimizing connections for future production units. Our priority is to promote the injection of these gases by accelerating the rollout of smart storage solutions and investing in innovation. 

Territorial engagement is vital for developing these new gas sectors. Our local presence and expertise enable us to support regions in the development of anaerobic digestion sites and the creation of new renewable gas production sectors while involving local, economic fabric players. We continuously support these future-oriented sectors to ensure they are as exemplary as possible, well integrated into French regions, economically viable and environmentally responsible. 

The development of renewable gases will also provide GRDF with the opportunity to create new offerings aimed at fostering the emergence of the most environmentally exemplary renewable gas projects. 

GRDF’s commitment to the reduction of methane emissions     

The need to reduce methane emissions in the fight against climate change is increasingly evident both nationally and internationally. Methane, the second most significant greenhouse gas resulting from human activity, has a warming effect 30 times greater than CO2 over a 100-year period. The energy sectors of coal, oil, and gas are the second largest anthropogenic source of methane after agriculture, mainly due to leaks and technical losses along the value chain.  

Therefore, while GRDF's methane emissions represent only 1% of emissions in France, GRDF has been assessing its emissions for many years, and in 2019 set an ambitious target to reduce methane emissions by 40% by 2030 - a goal that GRDF is on track to achieve. 

Over the years, GRDF has developed an innovative quantification methodology based on more than 900 GRDF-specific emission factors, accounting for pressure, grid type, breach size, incident type, and other parameters. As we can quantify our methane emissions, we can consequently identify targeted actions to reduce them. 

Our involvement in the OGMP : GRDF, along with other gas distributors and European infrastructure management subsidiaries, has confirmed its commitments by joining the Oil & Gas Methane Partnership (OGMP), a United Nations initiative launched in 2014. Through this program, operators are intensifying their actions to reduce emissions and improve the accuracy and reporting level of these emissions. Since becoming a member in 2020, GRDF has been awarded the gold standard for three consecutive years, which acknowledges the highest level of commitment to measuring and reducing methane emissions.  

An ambitious methane emissions reduction plan : In 2023, GRDF updated its methane reduction target from -40% to -50% by 2030. To achieve this, GRDF is stepping up its asset renewal programme (mainly regulators), preventing third-party damage to the gas grid, and experimenting with reducing average operating pressure.  Additionally, with the new European regulation on methane emissions reduction, GRDF will need to carry out leak detection and repair (LDAR) more frequently than it has done in the past, based on the types of pipe materials used. GRDF is also working on expanding its methodology by incorporating new approaches for methane quantification to meet European requirements for site-level methane quantification.