On 10 and 11 March 2026, the Open Energies and  Expobiogaz trade shows will take place in tandem at  Eurexpo Lyon. Organized by the Greentech+ division of GL  events, these two key gatherings for the energy transition have chosen to come together while preserving their respective identities, audiences and areas of expertise. 

Holding the two events together reflects a strong conviction: different energy sectors can no longer be kept apart. Generation, control, storage, flexibility, renewable gases and energy uses are now being combined in increasingly integrated energy systems. By bringing stakeholders in smart energy systems and renewable gas together at the same venue, Open Energies and  Expobiogaz will create a unique space for dialogue,  complementarity and collective vision. 

As the opening day approaches, Open Energies and  Expobiogaz are unveiling a programme designed partly to promote connections between the two shows. This joint edition emphasizes the synergies between the sectors, with interconnected visitor pathways enabling professionals to navigate between areas of expertise,  energy uses and solutions. The guiding thread is the theme of energy flexibility, a fundamental cross-sector concern that illustrates the need to better coordinate energy generation, control, storage and use to build more resilient, better-performing energy systems. 

PERSONALISED VISITOR PATHWAYS FOR A TAILORED EXPERIENCE 

For the 2026 edition, the two shows are rolling out a shared system of personalized visitor pathways designed to streamline the experience, facilitate access to key content and offer targeted recommendations based on visitors’  interests and roles. 

A CROSS-SECTOR HIGHLIGHT  FOCUSED ON ENERGY FLEXIBILITY

The question of energy system flexibility is central among the major subjects addressed in the 2026 programme. This issue will be a particular focus during the Flexinergie conference given by the Syndicat des Énergies  Renouvelables (SER) from 1.30 to 6 pm on Tuesday, 10  March. A highlight shared by both trade shows is questioning the capacity of the French energy system to integrate renewable energy on a large scale by 2030.  

Register for this event on the SER website:  https://ser-evenements.com/1eres-rencontres-flexinergie/  

While this subject runs through the whole programme for both shows, it constitutes a major structural aspect of  Open Energies, while Expobiogaz approaches it from the viewpoint of the renewable gas sector. 

ABOUT THE ORGANISER | GL events Exhibitions Opérations: With 200 public and professional events organized worldwide, GL  events Exhibitions has developed unrivalled expertise in the business of organizing exhibitions, a business which must keep pace with ever-improving marketing, communication and organizational techniques,  while staying in close touch with the players in its markets. The Open  Energies and Expobiogaz exhibitions are organized by the GreenTech+  division of GL events, which also manages six other events: Bepositive,  Hyvolution, Eurobois, Paysalia, Rocalia and Piscine Global. GreenTech+  is a division of the GL events group, providing a unique shop window born from the synergies between exhibitions that touch on common themes of ecological innovation and sustainable development. GL events created  GreenTech+ to play a full part in the world’s major environmental issues,  based on the only format of its kind, building bridges between the sectors of the future and maximizing their visibility. GreenTech+ is an accelerator committed to supporting the sector’s stakeholders in their development and in their search for the solutions of tomorrow, while instilling an ever greater eco-awareness among our citizens.

The OPEN ENERGIES 2026 programme: understanding, controlling and  accelerating smart energy systems

Positioned at the crossroads between renewable energy and digital technology, Open Energies  2026 confirms its role as the expert forum dedicated to smart energy systems. Its programme is fully aligned with the priorities for 2026–2030: electrification of energy uses, renewable energy integration, control, storage and energy flexibility.  

Two complementary formats  to decipher the market 

The Forum – strategic readings  and interpretations of the market 

The Forum hosts high-level round-table  discussions on: 

• Evolutions in the regulatory and legal framework (the PPE energy plan, support mechanisms, connections, markets),

• Transformations in the economic models for self-consumption, CPPAs and flexibility,

• The prospects for the solar power, storage,  agrivoltaics and electric vehicles sectors. 

It combines the views of public decision-makers, energy specialists, manufacturers and local authorities to inform the fundamental choices to come.

The Workshops – demonstrations  of concrete solutions and practical  experience 

Based on short, operational formats, the  workshops give a voice to stakeholders on  the ground, covering: 

• uses cases for individual and collective  self-consumption,
• smart storage and control solutions,
• digital tools, AI and data for energy optimization,
• experience in electrifying energy uses and mobility.

The goal: enabling visitors to leave with the keys to immediate action. 

Energy flexibility, the guiding theme for 2026

Energy flexibility, a central theme of Open Energies,  runs right through the programme: storage, demand management, interactions with networks, hybridization of energy use and energy vectors. 

The first edition of the Flexinergie national gathering, organized by the Syndicat des Énergies Renouvelables  (SER), is a major highlight of the show, bringing together institutional players, experts and manufacturers to examine the prerequisites for a more flexible and resilient energy system.  

In response to the intermittent nature of renewable electricity, flexibility appears to offer essential leverage in securing the supply, controlling costs and accelerating energy decarbonization. Storage, consumption management, system services, synergies between energy vectors – all these solutions are central to the discussion about how to transform intermittency into an opportunity.

The conference is in three sections:

1.45 pm > Sequence 1: “Flexibility or flexibilities? How can we respond to the challenges of variable renewable energy while decarbonizing energy use?”

3 pm > Two themed workshops on market dynamics and the electrification of energy use

4.30 pm > Sequence 2: “Flexibility and PPAs: innovation for the needs of consumers and industry”.

Solar industry competition:  European Solar Games 

Another event is returning to Lyon during Open Energies:  the European Solar Games, a competition spotlighting solar PV installers. Organized by Enstall with support from Qualit’EnR, it will take place on 10 and 11 March 2026  in Lyon. 

Over the two days of the show, pairs of installers will compete live to meet a technical challenge: installing six solar panels on a roof in just an hour. A jury of experts will evaluate each team based on rigorous criteria: installation quality, compliance with safety standards, speed and precision. 

EXPOBIOGAZ 2026 Programme: All the Directions for Renewable Gas in One Place

The only trade show in France dedicated solely to renewable gas, Expobiogaz 2026, is the benchmark national event for all the stakeholders in the biogas sector. Its 2026 programme reflects the industry’s current priorities: scaling up production, structuring the markets, project funding, technological innovation and establishing regional roots. 

Three complementary spaces covering the entire value chain 

THE CONFERENCE SPACE: Industry-wide vision and technical expertise

The editorial heart of the show, with around fifteen sessions over two days: round-table talks, expert presentations, feedback and discussions around the major themes in renewable gas.

Subjects on the programme will include:

• Anaerobic digestion and biomethane production  processes, with on-the-ground experience and  information on benchmarking installations in operation;  
• Emerging technologies such as power-to-gas, pyrogasification, hydrothermal gasification and other  added-value sectors involving gas;  
• The challenges of network injection, cogeneration  and biogenic CO₂ recovery;
• Sustainable mobility and bioCNG, incorporating prospects for road transport and uses of green gas;
• Evolutions in the regulatory framework and funding models, essential for supporting and developing projects.

DAY 1: Led by Biogaz Vallée® with an approach focused on the market,  the sector and concrete experience. 

DAY 2: Led by the ATEE Club Biogaz, addressing technical, operational and regulatory aspects.

EXHIBITORS’ FORUM: Presentation of innovations and product demonstrations

This space gives a voice to exhibitors through short, dynamic formats:
• Technology presentations;
• Demonstrations of systems for network injection and optimized cogeneration;
• Presentation of solutions for power-to-gas and advanced biogas conversion;
• Discussions of mobile, modular innovations suited to industrial or local contexts.

A place for direct discussion in close touch with operational realities.

AGRICULTURE VILLAGE: Support for anaerobic digestion projects

An iconic space at Expobiogaz, the Agriculture Village is entirely dedicated to agricultural projects and anaerobic digestion on the scale of individual farms. Designed as a highly practical and informative space, it highlights concrete experience, the observations of farmers and solutions suited to reality on the ground:

• Discussions of agronomic issues in the use of digestate and solutions for combining arable with livestock;
• Presentations on bioCNG on farms, optimizing green mobility and the opportunities available to the agricultural world;
• Concrete experience and best practices around integrating anaerobic digestion units into agricultural systems.

AGRICULTURE VILLAGE PARTNERS:
• Association des Agriculteurs Méthaniseurs de France (AAMF),
• Agri Biogaz Avenir (local branch),
• Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes chambers of agriculture (operational management, particularly the Isère chamber).

ABOUT THE CO-ORGANISER | Association Technique Énergie Environnement (ATEE) 

ATEE, the Energy and Environment Technical Association, is a not-for-profit body founded in 1978 to promote energy management from a technical standpoint.  Committed to advancing energy management and reducing greenhouse gas emissions, the association aims to encourage more effective energy management among businesses and local authorities. More generally, it helps to make energy users more aware of how they can save and manage energy, contributing to the national objective of reducing greenhouse gases while improving their own profitability. At present, the association has 2500 members.  

ATEE’s Club Biogaz  

Created in 1999, ATEE’s Club Biogaz promotes the growth and development of biogas production and use. Working with the public authorities, it defines itself as the inter-professional association for biogas in France. Club Biogaz brings together the main French players involved in biogas (over 300 organizations) and encourages its members to pool their experience and skills.