On 22 November, HAROPA PORT and VERSO ENERGY, a specialist in renewable energies, signed an agreement to set up an industrial unit to produce low-carbon hydrogen and synthetic fuels in the HAROPA PORT port area in Grand-Quevilly, according to the company's release.
The site will be located on land belonging to HAROPA PORT in Grand-Quevilly, on the outskirts of Petit-Couronne. This development project will help to secure and strengthen the local industrial ecosystem. Commissioning is scheduled for 2029.
The project involves the production of hydrogen by electrolysis of water at a capacity of up to 350 MW, representing a volume of more than 50,000 tonnes of hydrogen per year. The investment is around €500m. It will be accompanied by a unit producing synthetic fuels from captured and recycled CO2, which will create some 150 direct jobs and 250 indirect jobs.
In this way, the project will be able to contribute to the decarbonisation of the industrial sector in the port area, as well as the air and sea transport sectors, where demand for sustainable fuels is growing significantly.
This new production unit is strategic for HAROPA PORT and for the port of Rouen: ports are facing major decarbonisation challenges for which decarbonised hydrogen is becoming an essential lever.
Project schedule
Preparation of the environmental permit file: 1 year from the end of 2023,
Engineering studies : ongoing until the end of 2024,
Provisional date for obtaining administrative authorisations : 3rd quarter 2026,
First construction : 3rd quarter 2026, and no more than 12 months after obtaining administrative authorisations,
Commissioning of facilities : 3rd quarter 2029.