CFG: A busy year in 2021

The Compagnie Française de Géothermie (CFG) is a leader in the geothermal energy market, with core activities in four areas:

• Studies and consultancy in the field of geothermal resources;
• Project design, engineering and management for all geothermal applications (including electricity production and spas); 
• Operational maintenance and monitoring of geothermal production facilities;
• Consultancy, services and products in the fields of corrosion and industrial microbiology.

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Légende

Complex rehabilitation operation with snubbing unit in Switzerland. © CFG

CFG offers its clients its subsurface expertise for the design, implementation and operational monitoring of projects for all types of deep and shallow geothermal extraction and for a wide range of temperatures. CFG’s expertise has extended its activities to include engineering services for geothermal loops and fluid conditioning.

To carry out its missions, CFG relies on two activities grouped together in a single production department.

• The IMO division handles project engineering and management (upstream sector: resource characterisation, design and implementation);
• The MSE division handles operational maintenance and monitoring, (downstream sector: commissioning, operational maintenance and monitoring, rehabilitation).

The engineering and project management activity was sustained from the second quarter onwards with the management and supervision of a new Dogger doublet in Evry (91) and significant shaft rehabilitation work in France and Switzerland. Feasibility studies in the Île-de-France, Centre-Val de Loire and PACA regions suggest that there is good potential for the production of carbon-free energy in heating networks and in the industrial sector in the near future.

CFG has supported major energy operators in their current projects and the development of geothermal electrical generation projects in the overseas territories. These projects are revitalising the subsurface engineering sector in volcanic environments and enabling the redevelopment of know-how specific to this field of activity.

The microbiology consultancy activity on behalf of ANDRA continued, albeit at a lower level than that projected.  The maintenance and operational monitoring business was particularly busy in terms of maintenance work and sales of specialised shaft equipment.

Scheduled maintenance activities, of which there were seven this year, generated  a lot of work, placing heavy demands on the technical teams in a health context which is still complex in 2021. In addition to these maintenance operations, we also had to deal with breakdowns that tested the responsiveness and availability of our teams.

The maintenance work led to the discovery of problems either with the production equipment or with the structures themselves. The rehabilitation of the facilities generated equipment sales and rehabilitation work as prime contractor.

We should also note the equipping of two new doublets at Champs-sur-Marne and Vélizy with CFG technologies in terms of anti-corrosion treatment.

Production of Labège kits was very strong with the upswing of the oil and gas sector after two years of low demand and low prices.

Major orders were filled, notably for operators in West Africa.

In terms of of research and development, partnership projects were pursued in 2021 on various technical subjects such as the development of high-temperature submersible pumps, and the exploration of new options for coupling geothermal energy and CO₂ reinjection.

Research work (with ADEME funding) on complete preparation of shafts with composite materials was finalised in 2021 with the development of a specific cementing methodology. From 2022, this work will be applied for the construction of two doublets incorporating this technology in Alfortville and Champigny-sur-Marne.