The hydrogen sector presented in Béziers to future users and financiers of Occitanie

Bruno Martin attend les acteurs de la filière à Béziers. J.-P A. – Midi Libre

Béziers is at the center of the European corridors for transporting this energy of the future that is hydrogen. This Friday, January 19, representatives of the sector, but above all future users will be present at Fenwick, at Capiscol. 

"We are organizing, this Friday, January 19, with the Occitanie and Alternative Territories region, a presentation of the hydrogen sector in Occitanie, explains Bruno Martin, the Languedoc-Roussillon regional director of the Fenwick company. We are going to bring together the different players in the sector (carbon-free H2 production, distribution, financing, equipment…) to be able to show the main industrial or logistics companies the developments in Occitanie, particularly around Béziers."

Make Béziers dream of an industrial renewal

It must be said that by supporting the development of Genvia on the SLB-Schlumberger site (formerly Cameron), the state and Europe have given a big boost to the SLB-Schlumberger project. factory manufacturing high temperature electrolyzers (intended to produce carbon-free hydrogen). Enough to allow Béziers and Biterrois to dream of an industrial renaissance. By adding to this some 500 jobs, there is a cocktail which is enough to motivate more than one to get involved or invest in the sector. "This flagship of carbon-free hydrogen could herald the industrial renewal of Béziers and we must make it known that hydrogen has a future for the industrialists that we are", insists Bruno Martin again.

The sector and users present in Béziers

This Friday, for a few hours, the entire hydrogen sector in Occitanie will be brought together on the site of the Fenwick company, at Capiscol in Béziers, as part of the first "territorial hydrogen workshop&quot ;. Producers, distributors, financiers, institutions and future customers will be present… "Initially, we had a goal of around ten representatives. More than forty are registered to come and see what is best in this area. This is a subject carried by the Region which interests a lot of professionals. The objective is to connect all the players in this sector to achieve carbon-free hydrogen produced and used in our region. We would like to start from the initial source up to the industrialist who uses it to work."

A gigafactory in Biterrois

This meeting will involve those who manage infrastructure and rolling stock within the Fenwick company, which specializes in forklifts. But hydrogen can be used in both land and sea transport.
A gigafactory We are talking, for Biterrois, about the installation of a gigafactory, essential to go far and strong in this very particular field. The project benefits from state support of 200 million euros. The Occitanie Region and the communities could, for their part, contribute some 80 M€ additional. Enormous sums are still being advanced so that Genvia can achieve its objectives in the decarbonization of heavy industry and mobility.

Demonstrations

"Friday, there will be no question of selling anything, specifies Bruno Martin. What will be clarified is the entire chain which allows the transport of the hydrogen molecule to their company." If nothing happens; is for sale why Fenwick is positioning itself on these workshops ? "Simply because we have been working with electricity and batteries for more than 50 years".

"When you add hydrogen in there, it’s the simplest thing. We already have this sector which has been working for us for 10 years. It is not yet profitable, but we are in the process of finding an interesting economic balance. On Friday, a forklift will be there for a demonstration and hydrogen will also be manufactured in front of the public." The demonstration site will be located 200 meters from a gas station. rsquo;hydrogen. In the definition of the road corridors for transporting this energy, we find Béziers but also Montpellier, Castelnaudary and Perpignan. A project with very high potential for the future.

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