Founding member of the Hydrogen group in the National Assembly, Michel Delpon, deputy for Dordogne, has just published a work on this subject. He gives us his vision of the deployment of this energy by reminding us of the work carried out by legislators.
Member of Parliament for Dordogne, Michel Delpon is a member of the Sustainable Development and Regional Planning Committee. “I have been interested in hydrogen since 2017, before founding the Hydrogen group at the National Assembly in March 2019. Sixty deputies from all sides followed us from the start. Today, the group has around a hundred elected officials and we hear specialists from the entire hydrogen value chain every Wednesday morning, with more than 100 companies already heard in this context. All this fueled me to write the book Renewable hydrogen, the green energy of the world after (Nombre7 Éditions) where I present the molecule as the keystone of the energy transition. » Michel Delpon presented a first questionnaire under the ministry of Nicolas Hulot who had then devoted 200 million euros to his plan, then invested in several amendments in favor of hydrogen in the mobility and mobility orientation law. the law relating to energy and climate, to the point of being the “ear” of the president, which led in particular to directing the recovery plan with 7.2 billion for the sector, including 1.5 billion for the Airbus hydrogen and more than 1 billion towards hydrogen for agriculture and for heating homes. The Hydrogen group is also at the confluence of ministries, both that of the Environment and Bercy!
The keystone of the energy transition
“I believe that hydrogen will drive renewable energy upwards. We need to consolidate this sector so that it can position itself in competition with the battery sector. Indeed, in addition to a favorable carbon footprint, carbon-free hydrogen should enable the creation of 150,000 jobs on French soil by 2030 in 84 different professions. Thanks to the recovery plan, we can set up an efficient French hydrogen sector with the production of electrolysers or fuel cells and a deployment of carbon-free hydrogen for three main uses: industrial uses first of all (cement works, steelworks, nitrogen fertilizer, plastics industry); mobility across our territories then (in particular train, truck, boats and… planes); finally, hydrogen could be used for heating homes. The Hydrogen working group of the National Assembly is also closely following the reflections and projects for the establishment of a European transport and storage structure, with manufacturers such as Teréga, GRTgaz or Storengy, non-exhaustive list! At the same time, we are working on the deployment of renewable photovoltaic electricity production, particularly in the countries of the South, or wind power in those of the North, without forgetting new technologies such as wave energy production and our exchanges with voluntary countries in this area, like Australia. »
France, a hydrogen player
The objective of the Hydrogen group is to provide the legislative framework to facilitate this deployment, which has real repercussions through territorial actions. “Thus, we were able to help a paper mill threatened with closure to reconvert its production thanks in particular to the addition of a hydrogen boiler. Other examples: the installation of an electrolyser at the Sarlat aviation department, the development of hybrid aircraft in Toulouse and Royan, an electrolyser on the EDF Bergerac dam or even a white water stadium for the World Kayak Championships. We will have in the country a series of industrial transitions, of local projects offering a chance of job reconversion. On this subject, we are going to set up specific training for these disruptive technologies (connected campus in Bergerac, mining schools, etc.). For its part, the French automotive sector, with PSA and Renault, but also specific suppliers like Gaussin, Symbio or HRS, is working on fuel cell vehicles. With the arrival of the carbon tax, undoubtedly including at the borders, decarbonized hydrogen could be a vector of transition, with its storage capacities for renewable energies, especially since a French sector will strengthen our energy sovereignty. Today, investors, like the European Investment Bank, are withdrawing from fossil fuels to turn to this new economy which remains to be developed. The work of our group has been to serve as a catalyst for the deployment of this sector so that France is recognized in this area. »
