Companies from France, Germany, Luxembourg agree hydrogen alliance

Eight companies from Germany, France and Luxembourg have agreed to partner in the development and linking of cross-sector projects in the area of hydrogen production, transport and use in order to help develop a hydrogen economy and decarbonise the industry and mobility sector in the three countries.

The companies include energy services provider Creos Deutschland, Luxembourg-based sustainable energy company Encevo, France's GazelEnergie, French gas transmission system operator GRTgaz, green hydrogen producer H2V, Hydrogene de France (EPA:HDF), German steel company Stahl-Holding-Saar GmbH and Essen-based energy company Steag GmbH.

The agreed partnership, called Grande Region Hydrogen, envisages the creation of an integrated cross-border energy system with a focus on the German state of Saarland, the Lorraine Region in France and Luxembourg, Steag said on Monday.

The projects, included in the alliance, will be interconnected and rely on each other and will cut carbon emissions by over 980,000 tonnes per year by 2030.

Among the projects in the scope of the initiative is a EUR-442-million (USD 513.4m) plan for a large-scale green hydrogen production site at the Emile Huchet power plant in the Saint-Avold commune in north-eastern France, which will replace the coal-fired power unit of the plant set to stop operation in 2022. Hydrogen production will start in 2026 with an initial capacity of 100 MWe which will be increased to 400 MWe by 2030.

The site will help decarbonise mobility and industry, reducing carbon emissions by 56,000 tonnes per year at the end of the decade.

(EUR 1 = USD 1.162)

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