TADI, a unique technological tool to detect and quantify methane

• Reducing the quantity of methane in the atmosphere is a priority when it comes to reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
• TotalEnergies is banking on cutting-edge detection and quantification technologies.
• On TADI at the PERL in Lacq - a world-renowned infrastructure - the tools are tested in real conditions.

The PERL is an asset for TotalEnergies’ in the search for innovative solutions to combat climate change and preserve the environment. The research center is internationally renowned for its scientific expertise in the areas of physics and chemistry of interfaces, environmental sciences and gas separation and handling. From laboratory pilot to industrial scale, its researchers have developed cross-functional knowledge, focused essentially on Sustainable Development topics: CO₂ capture and storage, water resource management, soil resource management, and measuring greenhouse gas emissions using TADI (TotalEnergies Anomaly Detection Initiatives).
 

Evaluating detection and quantification methods

"The Company has announced its ambition to work toward almost zero methane emissions by 2030.  At the heart of a SEVESO 3 industrial environment, practically the only one of its kind in Europe, our teams at the PERL - with their multidisciplinary competencies in operations, processes, safety, projects and works - are all working hard to contribute to this ambition using TADI.  As part of the Company’s research programs, rigorous experiment protocols have been set up to qualify detection and quantification technologies, as it is crucial to ensure their quality and reliability before deploying them on our sites. In this operational theater, we run controlled detection tests for gases such as methane, carbon, hydrogen, dinitrogen, etc." explains Xavier Marcarian, Head of the R&D Gas Separation & Treatment Department at the PERL. He is also in charge of the Lacq Pilot Platform where TADI is installed, with other of the Company’s experimental programs.

TADI is a test infrastructure that covers over 2,000 m² in Lacq near Pau, in southwest France. Having opened in 2015, this technological system is the basis for the R&D system's pre-industrial experimentation between laboratory testing and industrial-scale on-site deployment.

"TADI can be used to test, fine-tune and qualify acoustic, infrared or laser sensors for gas leak detection and measuring greenhouse gas emissions. It helps enhance our knowledge of these key technologies to contribute to efforts to curb climate change" he continues.

Video: TADI and TotalEnergies’ methane plan with Marie-France Benassy, Head of TotalEnergies Sustainability R&D Program & Platform.