French duo plans to produce synthetic bunker fuel from green hydrogen

Verso Energy and Haropa Port Authority will set up a 50,000 mt/year green hydrogen production plant in the Haropa Port complex along the Seine River.

PHOTO: Aerial view of Haropa Port located on the Seine River axis in France. Haropa Port

Three major French ports Le Havre, Rouen and Paris merged in 2021 to form the Haropa Port or the Seine Axis Major River & Sea Port. According to the International Association of Ports and Harbours, it is the largest port for foreign trade in France.

French renewable energy supplier Verso Energy and Haropa Port Authority will now set up a green hydrogen plant in the port complex to support the decarbonisation of various sectors, including shipping, “where demand for sustainable fuels is growing significantly”.

Green hydrogen will be produced by electrolysis of water, Haropa Port Authority said. Once the green hydrogen is produced at the facility, the partners will feed it with captured carbon dioxide (CO2) to produce synthetic fuels.

The plant is scheduled to begin operation in 2029 with an initial capacity of 50,000 mt/year. It will be located near Grand-Quevilly town in north-west France.

“This major project confirms that the Seine [river] axis is the valley of new fuels and new forms of mobility", Stéphane Raison, managing director of Haropa Port explained.

By Konica Bhatt

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