LThe observation is there: ports have a central role to play in the massification of the hydrogen sector. However, the volumes and characteristics of activities can vary from one port to another, implying different strategies and means of action. The capacity of a port to produce massively within its own territory is an essential variable in the viability of its hydrogen project. The production volumes associated with the ecosystem will induce more or less significant effects of scale that will make it possible to reduce the costs of hydrogen and thus meet the economic conditions of the targeted uses (from €1.5/kgH2 for large industry at 5 €/kgH2 for mobility for parity with current solutions).
The major port areas
Seine Valley (Le Havre, Port-Jérôme, Rouen), Bouches-du-Rhône (Fos, Lavéra, Berre), Nord (Dunkirk), but also Loire-Atlantique (Donges) or Gironde (Ambès), the primary characteristic of these ports is to concentrate industrial activities that are highly consuming decarbonized hydrogen in the years to come. However, these ports should not be reduced to their heavy industry because they are also large multimodal sites with several thousand hectares of logistics areas in service or available and therefore all the associated equipment for which hydrogen solutions represent a major lever for decarbonization. All these specificities give them a major and structuring role on a national scale with the possibility of radiating over a large territory, for the benefit of a large number of consumers.
Testimony
“The port of Bordeaux is the seventh largest port in the state, with hydrocarbons and fertilizers as its main port activity,” its director, Michel Le Van Kiem, explains. “Activities that are expected to decline over the years. We asked ourselves how to create a new decarbonized industrial zone with a circular local economy. Hydrogen appears to us to be at the heart of this system. Indeed, with this molecule, we will be able to deploy industries producing synthetic fuel and fertilizers. We are also looking at the production of synthetic plastics.”
Our goal is to start with a 1 GW electrolyser to produce 300,000 tonnes of ammonia. The purchase wants to produce 10 million tonnes of hydrogen, with 1 GW, we will make 0.14%. There is a long way to go! We have the land but we need to create a resilient economy. The most difficult thing today is to bring together all the players, because we are in transversal activities, with very innovative sectors. The prospect of deploying this new industry of tomorrow is exciting, but we must be very careful to move towards the right technological solutions.
Strategic ports
The ports of Strasbourg, Lyon, Calais and Paris are ports that benefit from a strategic positioning on major transport routes. They play a role as a European interface and are integrated into large urban areas, therefore generating significant traffic and flows. A large hydrogen ecosystem can therefore emerge thanks to mobility uses. However, these ports will have to support the emergence of these new uses which are at different levels of maturity. Possible territorial synergies with dense industrial activities located either within their own perimeter or in the immediate vicinity will also make it possible to further structure their ecosystem. The valorization of these different assets will strengthen the medium-term economic viability of their ecosystem.
Testimony
“In Port-la-Nouvelle, we have a project to produce hydrogen from renewable electricity, particularly with solar power plants,” says Mr. Arnoux of Qair, an independent producer of renewable energy. “The Occitanie region wants to decarbonize the Mediterranean arc. We need to group purchases and have visibility on uses. In particular, we are considering making synthetic fuels that are in high demand and that allow the capture of CO2. All actions are carried out with a view to territorial deployment, with port uses of course, but also local ones, such as the deployment of 5 stations for example in Narbonne, Montpellier and Perpignan. We must start on a small scale to then be able to produce larger quantities.
