HYDROGEN
Eastern France is convinced that hydrogen is essential for reconciling climate action with industrial ambition. It makes the development of the carbon-free hydrogen sector a priority.
The ambition of Eastern France
To offer clean transport and logistics solutions and 100% decarbonized energy to industries that would set up in Eastern France in the coming years.
This ambition is supported at the European level and by financing from France to more than €7 billion earmarked for the hydrogen sector as part of the France 2030 Investment Plan.
EASTERN FRANCE, A EUROPEAN HYDROGEN CORRIDOR
Eastern France and its many industrial players have managed to take the turn of the hydrogen transition. By capitalizing on resources, skills, and major initiatives, the territory is now positioned as a European hydrogen corridor.
It relies on several major assets to build this project:
- Geographical location and infrastructure (former gas pipelines converted into hydrogen pipelines) that guarantee a Europe-wide transmission and distribution capacity.
- Availability of resources for decarbonized hydrogen production.
- Development of expertise in this field .
- Engagement of key industrial players and projects for the sector.
EFFICIENT LOCATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE FOR THE HYDROGEN INDUSTRY
The geographical positioning of Eastern France is a major asset for the industrial-scale development of the sector.
Bordered by four major European industrial countries and positioned at the crossroads of four TEN-T corridors, Eastern France benefits from efficient transport infrastructures adapted to the transport of hydrogen, including access to the Rhine (70% of European river traffic).
This location and wealth of infrastructure allows to serve the French market and to consider a European-scale distribution for its hydrogen production. This European dimension of the sector is already a reality with the creation of the European Economic Interest Grouping (EEIG): Grande Region Hydrogen (GRH) between Eastern France, the German Region of Saarland and Luxembourg.
As the cradle of French industry, the region has also built a state-of-the-art industrial ecosystem that ranks second among France’s industrial centers. Automotive, railway, agro-industry, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, energy, . . . are dynamic clusters bringing together large groups, mid-caps and SMEs. Due to this strategic positioning, several very important logistics platforms are located in Eastern France. These numerous industries and the region’s dynamic logistics sector will provide new players with guaranteed opportunities on an industrial scale.
ABUNDANCE OF RESOURCES TO PRODUCE LOW-CARBON HYDROGEN IN EASTERN FRANCE
The territory of Eastern France is affluent in sources of low-carbon energy and biomass, both of which can be mobilized for the production of low-carbon hydrogen:
In addition, the recent discovery of a significant deposit of white hydrogen in its subsoil holds great promise for the sustainable development of the sector:
World’s 1st deposit of white hydrogen located in Eastern France
Finally, Eastern France can count on an electricity and gas network to meet the challenges of the deployment of this sector.
KEY EXPERTISE
In Eastern France, more than 80 researchers from the internationally renowned Universities of Lorraine, Strasbourg, and Troyes work on the various issues facing the sector daily.
To support these developments and innovations, skilled workforce needs have been identified upstream by the ecosystem. Starting in 2022, Engie and Afpa Grand Est signed a partnership to strengthen training capacity in the region around the installation and maintenance of hydrogen infrastructure.
As part of this continuity, Afpa in Metz launched in October 2023 a skills incubator programme for the job of Technical Manager of Hydrogen Installations. This training, unprecedented in France, is being deployed in partnership with France Hydrogène. It will also be offered in Mulhouse in 2024.
At the same time, in 2019, DINAMHySE, a consortium specialized in hydrogen-related issues in Eastern France was created. It has enabled the sector to structure itself and better pool concrete advances. The Region now has many industrial players able to offer a wide variety of technical solutions.
COMMITMENT OF KEY INDUSTRIAL ACTORS AND PROJECTS
Finally, the dynamism of key players has led to the launch of several key projects to begin this transition. These include:
- GazelEnergies’ Emil’Hy project to install a large-scale renewable hydrogen production unit by rehabilitating the former coal-fired power plant in Saint-Avold (Moselle)
- The CarlHYng project for mass production of renewable hydrogen carried out by the Franco-German collaboration Verso Energy – Siemens Energy in Carling (Moselle)
- Conversion of two existing gas pipelines connected to Germany and Luxembourg in the MosaHyc project
- The RHYn project, a hydrogen transport network project between southern Alsace, Baden-Württemberg and Switzerland
- The European Core Project for the Development of Hydrogen Electrolyzers by John Cockerill in Aspach-Michelbach (Haut-Rhin)
- a project to use hydrogen for the production of low carbon ammonia in Ottmarshiem (Haut-Rhine)
- Production of Renault Master hydrogen commercial vehicles in Batilly in Meurthe-et-Moselle
- The world’s first hydrogen-powered vineyard tractor from Exxact Robotics produced in Epernay
