A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed between the Occitanie Region, DEME Concessions, Euroports and Teréga, which aims to establish an essential hub for low-carbon hydrogen and CO2 management in the Mediterranean within the port of Port-La Nouvelle, France.
The aim of the consortium is to develop port and logistics infrastructures in Port-La Nouvelle dedicated to the future of clean energy including hydrogen, as well as other alternative low-carbon fuels and by-products. The partners will collaborate on feasibility assessment and design of the necessary infrastructure, in close coordination with local stakeholders.
In collaboration with European projects such as the HySoW hydrogen corridors, the initiatives will connect Port-La Nouvelle to major hydrogen and CO2 transport infrastructures, thus strengthening its role in the energy transition.
The development of the port infrastructure is intended to transform Port-La-Nouvelle into a platform for the import and export of hydrogen, CO2 and low-carbon by-products. Hydrogen import capacity is anticipated to reach 2m ton/year.
SEMOP Port-La Nouvelle is the concessionaire of the port of Port-La Nouvelle, for which the Occitanie Region is the concession grantor. While The Region is a public partner within SEMOP, Euroports and DEME Concessions are industrial partners. Teréga, a long-standing player in gas transport and storage in the south-west of France, is investing alongside these players through this partnership.
The port of Port-La Nouvelle is expanding rapidly. At this stage, SEMOP has already carried out major extension work in deep waters, including the dredging of the port at 15.9m to accommodate larger seagoing ships and the creation of more than 150 hectares of land area. In addition to these achievements, the construction of specialised jetties for the handling of liquid bulk is continuing. This extension is scheduled to be operational in 2026.
This partnership is fully in line with the REPOS strategy of the Occitanie Region, which aims to meet 100% of energy needs with renewable energies by 2050.
The Occitanie Region, which owns the port, aims to make Port-La Nouvelle the port of choice for the energy transition in the Mediterranean, and become the first positive energy region in Europe by 2050.
DEME Concessions oversees a diversified portfolio of business development, including offshore wind, marine infrastructure and green hydrogen (through its subsidiary DEME Hyport Energy).
Euroports specialises in the management of port terminals, and will provide logistics expertise for the development and day-to-day management of the port infrastructure, enabling the transport and storage of new energies.
Teréga, a gas transport and storage specialist will be involved in the design and development of the infrastructure needed for renewable gas, hydrogen and CO2.
Dominique Mockly, Chairman and CEO, Teréga,said: “This partnership marks a key milestone in our commitment to the energy transition. By collaborating with strategic players such as the Occitanie Region, DEME and Euroports, we are setting up innovative infrastructures that will make Port-La-Nouvelle a key hub for green hydrogen and CO2. This project reinforces our ambition to develop sustainable solutions to accelerate the decarbonisation of territories and support France towards a carbon-neutral economy.”
Image: Port-la-Nouvelle (credit: Occitanie Region)
