A consortium of partners has unveiled plans to establish a hub for low-carbon hydrogen and carbon dioxide (CO2) management at Port-La Nouvelle, France, a project that promises to enhance the region’s role in the energy transition.
The initiative, marked by a memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed on September 20, 2024, involves collaboration between the Occitanie Region, DEME Concessions NV, Euroports and Teréga.
At the heart of this project is the development of port and logistics infrastructure aimed at accommodating future flows of clean molecules, including hydrogen and CO2, alongside other alternative fuels and low-carbon by-products.
The partners stated that they will work closely with local stakeholders to assess the feasibility and design of these infrastructures, ensuring alignment with European projects like the HySoW hydrogen corridors.
Dominique Mockly, Chairman and CEO of Teréga, said, “This partnership marks a key milestone in our commitment to the energy transition. By collaborating with strategic players such as the Occitanie Region, DEME, and Euroports, we are setting up innovative infrastructures that will make Port-La-Nouvelle a key hub for green hydrogen and CO2.”
The port is undergoing rapid expansion, with SEMOP Port-La Nouvelle – the port’s concessionaire – starting on major deep-water extension projects. This includes dredging operations to create a port depth of 15.9 metres, facilitating access for larger vessels and the ongoing construction of specialised jetties for liquid bulk handling. These enhancements are projected to be operational by 2026.
The developments could see Port-La Nouvelle increase its hydrogen import capacity to around two million tonnes per year. This transformation aligns with the REPOS strategy of the Occitanie Region, which aims to achieve 100% renewable energy to meet its needs by 2050.
As Carole Delga, President of the Occitanie region, remarked, “Today, I celebrate this partnership, which is another significant step toward achieving carbon neutrality in Occitanie.”
Frédéric Platini, CEO of Euroports, reiterated the importance of this development, stating, “By leveraging our expertise in port logistics, we are proud to contribute to the potential development of Port-La-Nouvelle as a strategic hub for green hydrogen and CO2 management.
“Together with our partners, we aim to build sustainable infrastructure that supports Europe’s transition to a carbon-neutral future, while reinforcing the Mediterranean’s role in global energy logistics.”
Hydrogen hubs in Europe
Several hydrogen hub projects are currently under development across France and Europe. In France, the Grand H2 project aims to establish a green hydrogen production facility in Normandy, with an expected capacity of 400 megawatts (MW) by 2025
The HyPort project in Nantes targets a hydrogen production capacity of 100 tonnes per day by 2025, while the German HySupply project plans to create a hydrogen corridor between northern and southern Germany, facilitating the transport of one million tons of hydrogen annually by 2030.
Meanwhile, the Wind Power Hub, a partnership involving several countries, aims to harness offshore wind energy to produce up to 10 million tons of hydrogen by 2040 .
