AFP, published on Wednesday, April 20, 2022 at 6:34 PM
The recovery plan has accelerated the decarbonisation projects of the French chemical industry, which mainly relies on biomass boilers to do without fossil fuels and reduce its reliance on imported gas, France Chimie said on Wednesday.
“Two-thirds of the avoided emissions” from the French chemical industry will come from “14 biomass boiler projects to be launched,” Luc Benoit-Cattin, president of France Chimie, said at a press conference on Wednesday.
For the sector, the “decarbonisation of heat” (ie without doing fossil energy to produce steam) is a “key point”, he stressed, this pool represents about “50% CO2 emissions from chemicals”.
“We are very mobilized to continue these investments in the decarbonisation of heat and we would like to extend the calls for projects that have been a real success,” added the manager of France Chimie, which represents 1,200 groups or companies. unites with 220,000 employees .
Investments in biomass boilers or boilers powered by “solid reclaimed fuels” also make it possible to “reduce” dependence on imported gas, he noted.
The manager pointed out that of the 200 industrial projects supported with public support under the recovery plan, 25% are related to the energy transition or the chemical recycling of plastics, while 35% are devoted to the development of “excellent sectors”, half of which are for “biosourced products” or “top quality materials for automotive batteries”.
Going forward, the sector has set itself the target of reducing its emissions by 26% by 2030 (compared to 2015) by working on “energy efficiency, decarbonisation of heat and reduction of the most emissive gases, in particular nitrous oxide and HFCs ”, recalled Mr Benoit-Cattin.
To achieve this, the chemical industry plans to invest in equipment, in particular through the France 2030 plan for green hydrogen production, CO2 capture and recovery and the electrification of processes.
France Chimie and the Public Investment Bank (BPI) will also present on May 10 a “mapping” of the 250 chemical start-ups listed in France, especially those in full-fledged green chemistry.
Chemistry is an “essential intermediary” that should enable many other sectors to become decarbonised, such as automotive batteries or insulation products in construction, emphasized Mr Benoit-Cattin.
