Planes, boats, trains, buses, hydrogen cars… Numerous projects using hydrogen energy are emerging in Pays de la Loire thanks to the collective dynamic of stakeholders in the hydrogen sector, launched several years ago, and thanks to the ambition of the Region which is mobilizing 100 million euros for the development of this sector. This dynamic makes Pays de la Loire a true “hydrogen planet”.
The region has groups of actors (communities, innovative companies, start-ups, research laboratories) forming territorial ecosystems and developing technological projects for numerous uses.
The successes encountered in the region are linked to the synergy between, on the one hand, very high quality laboratories and universities and, on the other hand, competitiveness clusters, unique technological platforms such as Technocampus Océan, the SEM-REV sea testing platform and companies involved in the hydrogen sector. The latter drive the sector towards excellence and demonstrate know-how in technical, industrial and economic development in five major sectors:
• the naval-nautical sector: development, among others, of hydrogen-powered Crew Transfer Vessels, and studies of the possibilities of serving the island of Yeu by hydrogen-powered vessels from the regional company or of transhipment on the Loire by those from the Loire-Atlantique department;
• marine renewable energies: use of fuel cells in the emergency units of substations at sea (Chantiers de l’Atlantique/Powidian);
• mobility: e‑Neo heavy vehicles in Vendée, Powidian special vehicles in Le Mans, Secom/Fetis special vehicles, Manitou construction machinery;
• aeronautics: zero-emission aircraft project, development of the structural integration of cryogenic tanks in Nantes;
• production: several start-ups are developing innovative and complementary production processes.
This synergy between research and companies enabled the Pays de la Loire Hydrogen Workshops to be held last December. Companies and research players gathered there to get involved in projects linked to hydrogen or to develop new ones.
The hydrogen sector in the Pays de la Loire is accelerating its structuring, with in particular three major territorial ecosystems, the establishment of which is essential to develop the availability of hydrogen throughout the Loire region:
• H2 Ouest is a pioneering operational ecosystem developed in Vendée, under the dynamic of SYDEV, the Vendée Departmental Energy and Equipment Union, and Lhyfe, producer of renewable hydrogen, with numerous Vendée and Country stakeholders. of the Loire. H2 Ouest extends its action to Le Mans, in Sarthe. Its objective is to produce renewable and sustainable hydrogen and to provide innovative and industrializable solutions to other sites.
• Vhygo is a multiregional ecosystem selected by ADEME in 2021, which constitutes the basis for the deployment of large-scale renewable hydrogen in the Greater West regions. Directly connected to the wind turbines, it makes it possible to develop a new renewable hydrogen production site in Loire-Atlantique.
• Finally, the H2 Loire Vallée ecosystem (H2LV) aims to contribute to the development of hydrogen in the industrial and port sectors, integrating the entire value chain, from the creation of the molecule to use along the route. estuary. This sector is adapted to multiple uses of mobility in land transport, port activities, river transport and open transport uses on the sea.
Other ecosystems are being set up in the region’s main cities. The objective is to structure an initial network that can be quickly connected to develop heavy transport on a regional scale and then on a national level.
Overall, the development of hydrogen must be able to respond to land mobility uses, air and maritime transport and, of course, support the energy transition in industry. Seed projects for the sector are driven by ecosystems.
