The Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes French region and the Compagnie Nationale du Rhône (CNR) have announced the construction of a one-kilometer hydrogen pipeline between the Pierre-Bénite dam and the Saint-Fons chemical valley by 2025. Code name: OH2 Pierre-Bénite.
The announcement was made on October 17. The project consists in building a pipeline between the Pierre-Bénite dam and the Chemical Valley in Saint-Fons. The hydrogen would be produced with water from the Rhône River thanks to a 20 MW electrolyser. It will produce 8 tonnes of hydrogen per day. Then, it would be sent to Symbio’s industrial site, which would be the main customer. The joint venture between Faurecia and Michelin will produce some 200,000 fuel cells per year at its Saint-Fons plant by 2030. The site is scheduled to open in 2023, with an annual capacity of 50,000 hydrogen fuel cells from the outset.
However, the pipeline will also be used to supply a refuelling station set up by Hympulsion for buses and coaches. A refuelling point should also be added near the port of Lyon for boats. It should be noted that the project will also link up with the actors of the HyPSTER project, which applies to hydrogen storage, with Storeny. GTRgaz and Engie are also involved.
According to the magazine Lyon Capitale, the President of the region Laurent Wauquiez said that “80% of the hydrogen players in France are in our region.” He added: “We expect 150,000 jobs to be created in France by 2030 in this sector. We want them to be in our region.
The region is thinking bigger as it also intends to connect to a mega pipeline linking Germany to Fos-sur-Mer.
Article written by Laurent Meillaud, translated by Marina Leite and reviewed by Logan King.
