The Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Region’s Zero emission valley project has just received significant support from Ademe, which is providing a grant of 14.4 million euros.
In 2017, the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Region launched the Zero-emission valley project to accelerate the deployment of hydrogen and develop the zero-emission mobility of tomorrow. It has thus brought together all the regional players involved in the sector (communities, businesses, competitiveness clusters, clusters, research centers, etc.). 80 % of hydrogen players in France are in fact in Auvergne and Rhône-Alpes regions.
As part of the national Hydrogen launched on 1 st June 2018 by the Minister of ecology and solidarity Transition, the Agency for Environment and Energy Management (ADEME) has approved assistance on behalf of the ” State of 14.4 million euros for this project which proposes to deploy twenty hydrogen distribution stations (14 of which will also produce) and one thousand professional vehicles running on hydrogen.
Hympulsion is the driving force behind this project with, as shareholders, Engie (22.8%), Michelin (22.8%), the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Region (33%), Banque des Territoires (16, 9%), Crédit Agricole (4.6%). It was the winner of the Ademe Hydrogen and Mobility call for projects in 2019 . Hympulsion is responsible for deploying the hydrogen charging stations. The foundation stone of the first station was laid in June 2019 in Chambéry. A temporary station in Clermont-Ferrand was also inaugurated last September.
The funding will help in the financing of production facilities (electrolysers) and distribution (stations) of decarbonated hydrogen, and for a third to the acquisition of 200 additional H2 vehicles to the thousand vehicles of the project two thirds. Two buses will thus be tested for the Grand Chambéry, 50 light vehicles for taxi uses for example and 148 vans weighing more than 2.5 tonnes will also be helped.
This project will ultimately save 623,700 liters of fossil fuels and 1,517 tonnes of CO 2 / year each year. ” Our ambition is to make Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes the first hydrogen region in France and to be the catalyst for the deployment of this new technology in Europe, ” said Laurent Wauquiez, president of the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region.
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