The scaling up of agricultural methanization. Sociotechnical arrangements between tinkering, embedding, and industrialization

Résumé :

This article examines the upscaling of the methanization sector in France from the 1950s to the present day. Our analysis of sociotechnical arrangements demonstrates how the process of industrialization has been accompanied by changes in production methods, both among the actors involved, and in terms of the division of epistemic work. Initially “tinkered” and not scalable, methanization became “embedded” in farms in the late 2000s. Encouraged by public authorities, the upscaling process was implemented according to a logic of “scattering” across the territory. The boom in biomethane injection in the late 2010s paved the way for “industrial” methanization. However, this second upscaling followed two dynamics: the densification of territorial links and economies of scale. This industrialization process has led to competition between farmers producing biogas and energy companies, as well as resistance within the agricultural community itself.