Forthcoming H2V factory awarded for the vital role it will play in decarbonizing the Port of Marseille Fos

A landmark €910m investment

On January 30, the opening day of the Euromaritime trade fair in Marseille, the French hydrogen producer H2V was presented with the Invest in Provence award. The Port of Marseille-Fos, the Aix-Marseille-Provence Metropolis, the City of Marseille, the Sud Provence-Alpes-Côte-d’Azur Region, and Provence Promotion all celebrated the plan for a landmark €910m investment to construct a green hydrogen and e-methanol factory in Fos-sur-Mer. This new facility, which will eventually produce 600 megawatts of power, is a key structural development and will help usher in a new age of decarbonization for industry and heavy mobility in France.

Fos-sur-Mer, which is just west of Marseille, will be a hub for the large-scale production of low-carbon hydrogen and green fuels. The decision by H2V, a subsidiary of Samfi-Invest, to build a 600-megawatt plant in Fos-sur-Mer in two phases (the first 200 megawatts and the second 400 megawatts) by 2028 has been applauded by authorities and stakeholders in the Aix-Marseille-Provence territory. A ceremony was held on January 30 at the Euromaritime trade fair in Marseille to honor this huge investment.

“You are leading the way in the production of these essential new energies and helping to transform society as we know it. Marseille-Fos must become the world’s leading port for decarbonization, and this will attract new activities and enhance our international competitiveness,” said Jean-Luc Chauvin, the President of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry Aix-Marseille-Provence and the Chairman of Provence Promotion. He presented the Invest in Provence award to François Guillermet, the Director of Project Development for H2V in Fos.

“Our project focuses on the decarbonization of industry and heavy mobility,” noted François Guillermet, who announced that construction permits for the project will be submitted this summer.

In June 2017, Provence Promotion approached the renowned Normandy-based entrepreneur Alain Samson and mobilized the Fos-Berre ecosystem to support the hydrogen gigafactory project. The Port of Marseille Fos then took a stake in the project in February 2022.

Financial support from the Port of Marseille Fos and the Banque des Territoires

The main challenge for heavy industry is to replace the grey hydrogen that is currently used by refineries and the chemical industry and is associated with greenhouse gas emissions. There is also a need to replace coal and natural gas with cleaner energy sources. For heavy mobility, the aim is to replace diesel fuel used by trucks, but also to supply green fuels made from a combination of low-carbon hydrogen and captured CO2. This would allow the heavy fuel oil needed for maritime transport to be replaced with cleaner e-methanol and the kerosene used for air transport to be replaced with eSAF sustainable aviation fuel.

The construction of the H2V plant represents an investment of €910 million and should lead to the creation of 3000 new local jobs. As a green port serving the blue economy, the Port of Marseille-Fos is positioning itself as a hub for new energies by becoming a 5% shareholder in H2V Fos. On January 31, the French government also displayed its confidence in this vast decarbonization program when it was announced the Banque des Territoires public investment bank could invest up to €65 million in the plant by 2029.

Vallourec and CMA CGM join forces with H2V

CMA CGM, which already partnered with TotalEnergies to create a liquefied natural gas hub in Fos-sr-Mer, has also indicated an interest in producing synthetic e-methanol to fuel its fleet of ships. H2V aims to produce 28 000 tons of low-carbon hydrogen dedicated to the annual production of 140 000 tons of e-methanol.

Vallourec, which is specialized in steel tubing for the industrial and energy sectors, has also announced its commitment to the H2V Fos project. The company’s subsidiary, Delphy, will study the installation of the green hydrogen storage system and will help to establish the industrial technology in the Marseille-Fos area.

“Marseille-Fos has been a port for all types of energy for 60 years and will also be the French entry point for the BarMar hydrogen pipeline project, which will link Spain to France. We are also working with HSL Technologies, a company based in Aix-en-Provence, which has the potential to revolutionize hydrogen transport,” noted Michaël Parra, the Energy Transition Manager at the Port of Marseille-Fos, during a workshop at the Euromaritime trade fair.