In the framework of the European PIEEC hydrogen project, 15 French initiatives have just been selected. They are focused on the decarbonization of industry, the development of gigafactories and the acceleration of hydrogen mobility.
Visiting an Air Liquide site on March 8, Bruno Le Maire released the map of the first 15 French projects selected for the PIIEC hydrogen program. Launched last December, this “Major Project of Common European Interest”, dedicated to H2, is intended to be a “real launch pad” for the low-carbon hydrogen sector in Europe, the government said in a press release.
And among more than 100 projects submitted to the European Commission in August 2021, 15 French initiatives have been selected. Among them: the electrolyzer gigafactory in Belfort (with McPhy), the hydrogen production plant in Dunkirk (with Air Liquide) and the R&D project on H2 mobility in Flins-sur-Seine (Hyvia – Renault Group and Plug Power). “New waves of projects are also being built with all the participating countries, and will strengthen the European ambition of the PIIEC on hydrogen in the coming months,” said the government.
Reconciling climate action and industrial ambition
The 15 selected projects mainly focus on the development of gigafactories, the acceleration of hydrogen mobility and the decarbonization of industry. They are part of the “National Strategy for the Development of Decarbonized Hydrogen” presented by the government on September 8, 2020. This strategy has been allocated €7 billion in public support between now and 2030. Its ambition: “to ensure French technological sovereignty and deploy a capacity of 6.5 gigawatt hours of electrolysers on the national territory”.
As part of the France 2030 investment plan, a budget of €1.9 billion in public support is also planned for the decarbonization of heavy mobility and the most emitting sectors of industry. “Reconciling climate action and industrial ambition: this is the fight we have been waging since 2017. Strengthening our industrial fabric throughout the Le Havre basin, thanks to the development of hydrogen in particular, will make a major contribution to this,” said Agnès Pannier-Runacher, Minister Delegate for Industry.
This is the case for the hydrogen production unit by electrolysis at Air Liquide’s Port-Jérôme-sur-Seine (76) site, which Bruno Le Maire visited and which is also one of the 15 selected projects. “This project avoids emissions while reducing our dependence on imported energy: replacing gas with nuclear and renewable electricity strengthens our energy independence and thus our sovereignty,” said the Minister of the Economy.
7 billion euros of public and private investment
Within the framework of the hydrogen PIIEC, more than 7 billion euros of public and private investments can be deployed by the European Commission. “Projects must now be examined quickly in order to trigger the investments needed to achieve the ambitions of our manufacturers and the government,” said Philippe Boucly, President of France Hydrogène, the French association of industry players. “This is an important step and should be followed by other calls for projects on the deployment of hydrogen vehicles and charging stations, and more broadly on hydrogen transport and storage infrastructures.
