European Union awards for 5 projects for hydrogen and CO₂ transmission
After applying for grants from the European Union (EU), five NaTran infrastructure projects (hydrogen and CO2) have been selected (BarMar, HY-FEN, RHYn, DKharbo and GOCO2) for their contribution to decarbonising the economy and building the future European energy market. Among the 41 successful applications, the projects to which NaTran has contributed alone account for €64 million worth of funding, part of which (€35 million) will go directly to NaTran.
With this support, together with interest from market stakeholders, NaTran is continuing to develop future hydrogen and CO2 transport networks that are safe and competitive, helping to decarbonise manufacturers and French regions.
In April 2024, the cross-border projects making up the H2 and CO2 transport network developed by NaTran (previously GRTgaz) and its partners were awarded the European “Project of Common Interest” (PCI) label, entitling them to apply for European funding via the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) project.1
Of the 41 European grant projects selected, five have the backing of NaTran and its partners:
- BarMar, an underwater pipeline project to convey hydrogen between Barcelona and Fos-sur-Mer;
- HY-FEN, a hydrogen transport infrastructure project connecting Fos-sur-Mer and Obergailbach on the German border. This project interconnects French industrial basins and hydrogen storage sites in the French regions of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, Occitanie, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, Bourgogne-Franche-Comté and Grand-Est. It is the French component of a wide corridor linking up the Iberian Peninsula, France and Germany;
- RHYn, a hydrogen transport infrastructure project linking France (near Mulhouse) and Germany;
- GOCO2, a CO2 transport and export infrastructure project in France’s Pays-dela- Loire and Nouvelle-Aquitaine regions, developed to decarbonise industrial sites for which carbon capture and storage is the only solution (cement making, lime production, etc.). It is also developing the use of bioCO2 for producing electrofuels;
- DKharbo, a CO2 transport and export infrastructure project in the Dunkirk region, which aims to decarbonise the highest CO2-emitting industrial hub in France.
Research co-funded by the EU will bring these projects up to a sufficiently high level of maturity so that investment decisions can be made with a view to bringing them into service by 2030. The budget allocated to NaTran and its partners totals €64 million, including €35 million for NaTran's transport infrastructure.
This decision is an acknowledgement of NaTran's expertise and its position right at the heart of Europe's decarbonised energy system. It will make it possible to:
- Support the company's transformation, in line with the aims of NaTran2030, its new corporate project;
- Leverage the unique technical expertise of NaTran, which began work on the future hydrogen and CO2 networks back in 2018;
- Spotlight the key role that infrastructure is playing in decarbonising industry and our economy.
Pour Anthony Mazzenga, development officer at NaTran, said: “Being selected by the European Commission is recognition of the interest in projects spearheaded by NaTran and its partners. I would like to thank everybody who has supported us, particularly our industrial customers and France's local authorities and regions – they have enabled us to stand out in this Europe-wide competition.
European grants and the commitment we can expect from manufacturers will enable us to continue our research, so that by 2030, competitive hydrogen and CO2 infrastructure will come into service, helping to decarbonise Europe and France's regions.”
Against a background of stiff European competition, a number of projects did not make the selection. However, NaTran continues to stand shoulder to shoulder with its future customers, the regions concerned and the public authorities to drive the maturity of these projects. The company is planning on resubmitting a number of applications for this scheme, or other European funding schemes.
1 The Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) is an EU funding instrument designed to finance strategic infrastructure in the transport, energy and digital sectors. It aims to improve connectivity among member states, boost European competition and accelerate the energy transition by supporting key cross-border projects.
