France: More than 150 Parliamentarians are Calling for “a Massive Hydrogen Plan”

Dear Hydrogen Today readers,

As you are all aware of, H2 is really becoming now a strategic part of the energy transition in the world, and notably in Europe since the EU publicized its Hydrogen Strategy on July 8th. It belongs to each European country to embrace that vision, and some have already done it widely and massively, for example Portugal and Germany. France is on the verge, and its national representatives are calling for it, and that’s an important message in a country that has been late recognizing the strategic importance of H2 for our future. This is why, though unusual for our news platform dedicated to H2, we are today opening a place to this tribune by the member of the french parliament, Michel Delpon, who pleaded his case on hydrogen last week.

Very best regards,

Bertrand Chauvet, Editor in Chief.

In France, more than 150 parliamentarians signed and plead for “a massive hydrogen plan in the service of economic recovery and energy transition”, in a column published Friday on the website of the Journal du Dimanche. Below are the words of Michel Delpon as published on the Journal du Dimanche.

“‘I believe in this ecology of the best, not in this ecology at least” [extract from the interview of July 14 of Emmanuel Macron]. On July 14, the President of the Republic drew the outlines of a massive industrial recovery plan, emphasizing in particular our ability to develop the hydrogen sector. Following this presidential speech and in the context of unprecedented health, social and environmental crisis, we, French parliamentarians and Europeans, call on the French government to change the paradigm by investing massively and coherently in hydrogen.
France already has a complete value chain, with large groups in chemicals, energy, automotive, research centers, SMEs, micro-businesses and startups. These players have the capacity to become world leaders in hydrogen in three areas that are decisive for the economic sovereignty of our country:

• Zero-carbon mobility in the heavy transport segment initially (trains, buses, trucks, waterways, aeronautics) then light transport (cars, drones, bicycles).
• The greening of industries that currently consume a lot of very polluting fossil fuels.
• Housing, both for building sites and to replace fuel oil heating with fuel cells and mixed boilers.
• Storage to regulate the energy market.

We are convinced that the choice of hydrogen will create added value and generate thousands of jobs in our rural and urban territories in France and overseas. To promote the development of the hydrogen sector in France, it is necessary to anchor a hydrogen strategy in the logic of French industrial policy by jointly supporting technological development and development at the level of end markets (mobility, industry and habitat).

Hydrogen is a real geopolitical issue for France and Europe which can lead us to energy autonomy

To achieve this in a coherent manner, investments must imperatively be deployed simultaneously in low-carbon production technologies and in uses. By making the opposite choice of sequencing in time the support for technologies and then for markets, France would take the risk of not offering any outlet for French technological innovations and accentuating its delay in placing on the market. In order to develop the hydrogen sector, we believe it is necessary to favor a scaling-up approach across the entire value chain while finding a fair balance between the legitimate French share and industrial economic realities.

In addition to the European Green Deal, several Member States have allocated significant budgets to their national hydrogen strategies, in line with the real potential of this technology, as part of their recovery plans: 9 billion euros for Germany or even 7 billion euros for Portugal. Outside the European Union, China has demonstrated its desire to establish itself as the undisputed leader by deciding to invest massively both nationally and in the provinces.

In this context, hydrogen is a real geopolitical issue for France and Europe which can lead us to energy autonomy. Ecology and economy must now go hand in hand by changing our economic model to make it compatible with the commitments of the Paris agreements, the Green Deal and carbon neutrality in 2050.
We are asking for a hydrogen plan driven by systemic governance with a budget commensurate with competitor countries in order to:

• Support the development of research and new technologies,
• Support supply and demand by promoting major economically more relevant projects in the regions,
• Allow the industry, mobility and housing sectors to start their decarbonisation with renewable or certified low carbon hydrogen.
• It is only at this price that France will be able to establish its leadership in the hydrogen industry and succeed in its challenge of both ecological transition, energy transformation and green economic recovery.

Michel Delpon, Member of the french Parliament, President of the Hydrogen Study Group

Contact: Inès Loughraieb, Chief of staff of deputy Michel Delpon, President of the hydrogen study group at the National Assembly. Email: ines.loughraieb@clb-an.fr

The co-signers:

MEPs: Christophe Grudler, Stéphane Séjourné, Nathalie Loiseau, Irène Tolleret, Marie-Pierre Vedrenne, Stéphanie Yon Courtin, Brunet Sylvie, Chrysoula Zacharopoulou, Ilana Cicurel, Dominique Riquet, Pierre Karleskind, Stéphane Bijoux, Valérie Hayer, Laurence Farreng, Fabienne Keller.

Deputies: Gérard Menuel, François de Rugy, Laurianne Rossi, Rolland Lescure, Véronique Riotton, Olivier Damaisin, Philippe Chassaing, Jean Pierre Curbertafon, Philippe Chalumeau, Jacqueline Dubois, Natalia Pouzyreff, Jean-Marie Fiévet, Bruno Duvergé, Paul Christophe, Laurence Vanceurbrock, Jean Marie Sermier, Gael Le Bohec, Frédérique Dumas, Fréderique Tuffnell, Pierre Cabaré, Paul Molac, François Cormier-Bouligeon, Daniele Herin, Jean Charles Colas-Roy, Sandrine Le Feur, Anne France Brunet, Laurent Garcia, Rémy Rebeyrotte, Christophe Arend, Sylvie Charrière, Christophe Blanchet, Guillaume Gouffier-Cha, Sandrine Josso, Jean-Claude Leclabart, Catherine Kamowski, Yolaine de Courson, Jean Luc Fugit, Patrick Vignal, Carole Bureau-Bonnard, Mireille Robert, Stéphane Testé, Damien Adam, Denis Sommer, Saïd Ahamada, Stéphane Trompille, Gabriel Serville, Stéphanie Do, Yannick Haury, Jean Charles Larsonneur, Jacques Marilossian, Sophie Panonacle, Fabrice Brun, Sereine Mauborgne, Danièle Hérin, Aude Luquet, Joël Giraud, Erwan Balanant, Stéphanie Kerbah , Frédéric Reiss, Jean Bernard Semptaous, Jean-Luc Lagleize, Pascale Boyer, Lise Magnier, Sébastien Cazenove, Sophie Beaudouin-Hubiere, Jean-Marc Zulesi, Daniel Labaronne, Frédéric Descrozaille, Philippe Dunoyer, Philippe Gomès, Jennifer De Temmerman, Guy Bricout , Denis Masséglia, Philippe Vigier, Bruno Millième, Michel Zumkeller, Monica Michel, Danièle Brulebois, Claire O’Petit, Berangère Couillard, Sophie Auconie, Fréderic Barbier, Alain Bruneel, Yves Daniel, Agnès Firmin Le Bodo, Émilie Chalas, Xavier Roseren, Thierry Michels, Pierre Venteau, Anne Laure Cattelot, Stéphanie Rist, Florent Boudié, Catherine Fabre, Cécile Rilhac, Anthony Cellier, Laurence Maillart-Méhaignerie, Aurore Bergé, Michèle Peyron, Thomas Valérie, Charlotte Parmentier-Lecocq, Fadila Khattabi, Anne Genetet, Hervé Pellois, Nicole Trisse, Huguette Tiegna, Rodrigue Kokouendo, Jean-Michel Mis, Valérie Oppelt, Jean-Michel Jacques, Alain Raphan, Hervé Berville, Pascal Lavergne, Véronique Hammerer, Cathy Racon-Bouzon, Marie Christine Verdier, Martine Leguille-Blloy, Béatrice Piron, Bénédicte Pételle, Marie Pierre Rixain, Coralie Dubost, Marc Delatte, Florence Morlighem, Christine Hennion, Laurence Gayte, Tan Buon, Fabien Gouttefarde, Stéphane Buchou, Fabienne Colboc, M’jid El Guerrab, Souad Zitouni.

Senators: François Patriat, Jean-Marc Pastor, Bernard Cazeau, Fréderic Marchand, Didier Rambaud

Do you want to learn more about hydrogen in France and its hydrogen plan? Then our latest articles on the country should interest you. You can access all of our France-related articles here. 

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