On the Nantes Saint-Nazaire Port site, Elyse Energy, Lhyfe, and local stakeholders are planning the production of 150,000 tonnes of e-methanol from renewable green hydrogen in Montoir-de-Bretagne, at the heart of the Loire’s industrial port ecosystem.
This project is of major importance for the region, while also playing a key role in decarbonizing the maritime transport sector.
Nantes Saint-Nazaire Port has been engaged for several years in a decarbonization pathway for its activities, which today remain highly dependent on fossil fuels. This transition toward more climate- and environmentally-friendly energy sources has become a criterion for competitiveness, and even survival, for European ports. This ambition is driven at all levels, notably by the Pays de la Loire Region and Saint-Nazaire Agglomération, which actively support the transition under way in the Nantes Saint-Nazaire industrial-port zone.
Indeed, decarbonization is fostering the emergence of a new industrial fabric in the region, with large-scale European projects creating new, long-term jobs linked to these sectors. The ZIBaC Loire Estuaire Décarbonation program thus ensures coherence and the development of strong industrial synergies between the various decarbonization projects in the estuary.
Decarbonizing maritime transport is a major challenge in achieving the dual objective of carbon neutrality and phasing out fossil fuels. The sector, which accounts for 80% of global trade, represents 14% of CO₂ emissions from transport in Europe and is firmly committed to decarbonization, with several sustainable options for ship propulsion.
France has two major competitive advantages to support the emergence of e-methanol and make it a significant opportunity for green reindustrialization: a low-carbon electricity mix and integrated chemical platforms capable of providing the necessary skills and infrastructure. With nearly 600,000 tonnes of fossil methanol imported each year by French industries and the growing demand from major maritime players for methanol-powered vessels, e-methanol offers the possibility of bringing production back to France while contributing to the establishment of a French center of excellence in the sector.