As part of its plans to achieve climate neutrality by 2050, the European Union has set an ambitious goal of boosting the capacity of green hydrogen to at least 40 gigawatts by 2030 – and making it cost-competitive with the cheaper and readily available fossil fuel-based hydrogen.
Strengthening the supply chain is key to meeting the growing demand for green hydrogen. To support this shift, the US-based global chemical company Chemours has recently decided to invest $200 million (around €189 million) to expand its 40-hectare manufacturing facility in Villers-Saint-Paul, France.
Chemours will use the expanded regional manufacturing site to support and advance technological progress and new products for the worldwide hydrogen economy. This includes the production of its Nafion™ ion exchange materials, which can be used in clean hydrogen generation using water electrolyzers, energy storage in flow batteries, and hydrogen conversion to power fuel cell vehicles.
We have been appointed to manage the delivery of the new facility, building on our existing relationship with Chemours in the US to help them expand operations into Europe.
The scaling-up of the hydrogen economy supply chain remains key to unlocking hydrogen’s full potential.
Using our global expertise with in-depth local knowledge
According to Chemours’ CEO and President Mark Newman, France was chosen for the investment because of “the French government’s goal to create a reliable and strong hydrogen economy, and the European Union’s ambition to deliver a clean energy transition based on the objectives set in the EU Climate Law.”
Our global asset delivery expertise combined with our strong local presence made us the preferred partner for Chemours as they expand into this new market.
We are providing permitting support as well as digital reporting and project management services for the new facility.
Having undertaken similar project management services for Chemours in the United States, we are applying both the in-depth experience of our US teams and our local team’s robust knowledge of the French construction market to the project.
Supporting growing market demand for green hydrogen
The scaling-up of the hydrogen economy supply chain remains key to unlocking hydrogen’s full potential. Once complete, the new facility will enable Chemours to support the growing market demand for clean hydrogen generation while benefiting the local economy through the creation of new jobs.
Our work with Chemours further solidifies AECOM’s status as a leading partner in the hydrogen economy. Earlier this year, AECOM announced a strategic agreement with Spanish infrastructure group URBAS to develop green hydrogen, green ammonia, and biofuels projects. AECOM is also part of a framework working on ATOME Energy’s green hydrogen and ammonia facility in Villeta, Paraguay, which is being supported by Paraguay’s National Electricity Commission.