French Look Into e-Methanol Produced from Green Hydrogen for Maritime Decarbonization

Green hydrogen producer Lhyfe and low-carbon molecules specialist Elyse Energy have set out plans to jointly develop the production of e-methanol from green hydrogen at Nantes Saint-Nazaire Port area in France.

The project, known as Green Coast, will be developed the heart of the Loire estuary’s industrial and logistics port ecosystem, to produce e-methanol – one of the key fuels for the decarbonization of maritime transport industry.

In late 2023, Nantes Saint-Nazaire Port selected Lhyfe to set up an industrial production and distribution operation for green hydrogen.

At the time, Lhyfe presented its plans to build an industrial unit with a renewable green hydrogen production capacity of up to 85 tonnes per day, with installed electrolysis capacity of 210 MW, in Montoir-de-Bretagne, to the north of the Multivrac terminal, by 2028.

Nearby, Elyse Energy has positioned itself to produce renewable fuel in the industrial port zone. A synergy between these two project leaders led to the signing of an exclusive agreement to study the feasibility of producing e-methanol from Lhyfe’s green hydrogen, in order to decarbonise maritime transport.

The rest of the production would be used to decarbonize mobility and industry locally.

This project, called Green Coast, will be located at the Montoir-de-Bretagne industrial port hub, near the quayside.

The project is currently under development, and is subject to the granting of operating licenses, building permits and financial investment decisions.

The conclusions of the initial studies will be communicated during 2025, according to Lhyfe and Elyse Energy.

The project is part of the Loire Estuaire Décarbonation initiative, supported by France 2030 via the Low Carbon Industrial Zone or ZIBaC call for projects, and led by ADELE, which includes Saint-Nazaire Agglomération, the Estuaire & Sillon association of municipalities, the Pays de la Loire Region, Nantes Saint-Nazaire Port and the Association des Industriels Loire Estuaire (AILE).