Lyon, May 27, 2024 – The preliminary consultation for the eM-Rhône project concluded on February 25, 2024. Elyse Energy and the Réseau de Transport d’Electricité (Rte) published their “Project Managers’ Response to the Guarantors’ Report” on May 24 to address their questions and clarify the continuous consultation mechanism they propose.
The eM-Rhône project, which was the subject of the preliminary consultation, aims to produce 150,000 tons of e-methanol per year in the Rhône Valley at the Roches-Roussillon chemical platform. This will provide a decarbonization solution derived from sustainable hydrogen and recycled carbon to chemical industry players and maritime operators.
Elyse Energy and RTE thank the National Commission for Public Debate and the appointed guarantors – Valérie Dejour, Jonas Frossard, and Marion Thenet – for their support, as well as the OSIRIS Economic Interest Group and local communities, which played a key role in disseminating information and organizing the consultation.
The preliminary consultation highlighted the favorable reception from the general public, the professional ecosystem, and local decision-makers who expressed their views. This support is based on a shared recognition of the decarbonization challenges and the industrial revitalization of the Roches-Roussillon platform, to which the eM-Rhône project contributes.
The guarantors’ report indicates that the project is “seen as an asset for strengthening territorial dynamism, in a logic of synergy with local industries and businesses. The establishment within the Roussillon industrial platform, a historical local player, managed by the OSIRIS Economic Interest Group (GIE), which provides jobs and has excellent control over industrial risks (already classified as a SEVESO site), is also considered by some participants as reassuring and highly relevant.”
The preliminary consultation also allowed for the expression of several points of concern, particularly regarding water withdrawals and consumption. Elyse Energy intends to implement technical measures to prioritize the reuse of water discharged by the platform’s industries and to study the recycling of water from its own processes.
The project managers’ response to the guarantors’ report details the commitments associated with the continuation of the project, as well as the measures proposed by Elyse Energy in light of the recommendations made by the guarantors in their report. This plan includes five main areas:
1. Organizing a public meeting in October 2024 to share the project managers’ response to the key points of the guarantors’ report and to provide additional information on the questions raised.
2. Maintaining and continuously updating the project website, and producing a newsletter to inform about key moments of the continuous consultation, project developments, and news.
3. Meeting with the François Verguin Vocational High School to supplement the information provided to students during the continuous consultation.
4. Organizing a public meeting before the public inquiry in spring 2025 to share the next steps of the public inquiry and to provide additional knowledge about the project, specifically regarding construction and connection.
5. Establishing a Monitoring Committee with the local ecosystem and partners to support the project’s development around key themes by involving stakeholders and occasionally bringing in experts.
The final continuous consultation plan will be presented for review to the National Commission for Public Debate (CNDP) in the coming weeks.
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Anima Conseil
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