The Prime Minister, visiting the site of the automotive supplier Plastic Omnium on Wednesday September 28, announced that ten industrial hydrogen technology projects will be financially supported by the State to the tune of 2.1 billion euros.
As part of the France 2030 investment plan, which aims to strengthen France’s industrial competitiveness and develop future technologies, the Prime Minister announced an investment of 2.1 billion euros to support and support the development of the hydrogen sector in France.
An Important Project of Common European Interest (IPIEC) – jointly supported by 15 European states – was set up to support research, development and the first industrial deployment of technologies linked to decarbonized hydrogen. France has placed the IPCEI at the heart of its national strategy for the development of decarbonized hydrogen, and will devote more than 3 billion euros in public support to it through the recovery plan and the France 2030 investment plan. Among of the 41 projects selected, ten are French, making France the most represented country in this first IPCEI: a positioning consistent with its ambition to become the world leader in carbon-free hydrogen.
5,200 direct jobs
During her visit, the Prime Minister announced that the 2.1 billion euros in development aid for these ten projects will complement the 3.2 billion euros of investment from these private actors.
Focused on the development of the industrial offer of equipment for carbon-free hydrogen, these projects will enable the construction of four electrolyser gigafactories in the region (representing up to 40% of the European electrolyser market by 2030) , production sites for hydrogen tanks, fuel cells for sustainable mobility, hydrogen trains and utility vehicles and the materials necessary for the production of this equipment.
These factories located in seven regions should create 5,200 direct jobs in the regions, dedicated to the decarbonization of our economy. The projects selected are as follows:
– MacPhy launches a development program and first industrial deployment of new generation alkaline electrolysers, with a gigafactory in Belfort;
– The eulogy will develop innovative stacks of proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrolyzers and build a gigafactory in Vendôme (Loir-et-Cher);
– John Cockerill will develop research and development (R&D) of the various parameters of pressurized alkaline electrolysis to carry out the design of a high-capacity alkaline electrolyser and the industrialization of its manufacturing;
– Genvia Hy2Tech will develop prototypes to decarbonize heavy industry;
– Faurecia will launch two generations of lightweight carbon fiber gaseous hydrogen tanks as well as a generation of tanks that will store hydrogen in cryogenic form;
– Plastic of everything will develop high pressure reservoirs;
– Alstom proposed a project to develop hydrogen bricks, a hydrogen shunting locomotive and a high-power hydrogen fuel cell generator wagon for freight;
– Symbio will work on a project relating to the latest generation fuel cells;
– Good will deal with the development of fuel cells on board vehicles as well as associated services for customers;
– Arkema proposed a project focusing on the development of high-performance sustainable materials in the mobility sector.
New projects are currently being examined by the European Commission, with two French projects focused on industrial uses approved by the Commission on September 21, 2022 within the second “HY2Use” wave of the IPCEI hydrogen.
