The website of the French Ministry of Energy Transition has published a 37-page document summarising the forthcoming revision of the French hydrogen strategy. Initial piece of information were given by Agnès Pannier-Runacher at the inauguration of the Symbio plant on 5 December. Hoang Bui, the coordinator of the national low-carbon hydrogen strategy, also provided an insight into the strategy.

The key points included was the target of 6.5 GW of low-carbon electrolytic hydrogen production capacity by 2030. It is planned to reach 10 GW by 2035. This production will be supplied by France’s low-carbon electricity mix, or by nuclear or renewable electricity production facilities, depending on the supply choices of each facility, and in line with the principle of technological neutrality between renewable and low-carbon hydrogen.

An infrastructure for industrial hubs

The strategy also aims to deploy low-carbon hydrogen and its transport infrastructure in France. Priority will be given to developing a network of hydrogen hubs (so-called “intra-hub” infrastructures), in particular the hubs at Fos-sur-Mer, Dunkirk, “Le Havre-Estuaire de la Seine”* and “Vallée de la Chimie”**, and connecting them to storage infrastructures. In addition, local deployment will continue to be necessary, including for intensive mobility.

The document also refers to the French Government’s unequivocal support to deploy low-carbon hydrogen production in France. It ensures that manufacturers have the economic model they need to accelerate decarbonisation. A €4 billion support mechanism will ensure the competitiveness of low-carbon hydrogen compared with fossil hydrogen over 10 years.

It also outlines an openness to the world strategy. It supports the French industry in its international commercial development, assuming the emergence of a global market for hydrogen and its derivatives. The document paves the way to imports.

It is also written that a thought will be paid to mastering all hydrogen equipment and technologies to ensure the industrialisation of previously supported projects, strengthen the integration of the ecosystem around the French flagships and ensure coverage of all the key products and technologies in the value chain.

*An estuary in Normandy (northwestern France)

**South of the French city of Lyon

Article written by Laurent Meillaud and translated by Logan King