Global energy and services provider ENGIE and US-headed electro-fuel (eFuel) technology start-up Infinium Holdings Inc (Infinium), have jointly revealed details of a plan to develop a European scale industrial hub to produce synthetic fuel for use in air and sea transport – two sectors that are difficult to decarbonize.
ENGIE and Infinium have unveiled a partnership under which they will jointly develop “Reuze” – a European scale industrial hub project to produce synthetic electro-fuels in Dunkirk, northern France using carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from iron and steel major ArcelorMittal.
Subject to a final investment decision, the Reuze project is scheduled to come into commercial operation in 2026 and will support ENGIE’s ambitious strategy of deploying 4 GW of green hydrogen production capacity by 2030
We are proud to be developing this large-scale project which combines innovative solutions designed to speed up the transition to net-zero. Hydrogen and e-fuels are going to have an important role to play in reducing the CO2 emissions of difficult to decarbonize industrial sectors, as well as in ensuring the sustainability of major transport companies, said Sébastien Arbola, EVP ENGIE Thermal Generation, Hydrogen and Energy Supply.
Infinium’s proprietary eFuel integrated end-to-end process technology, which converts renewable power into green hydrogen, then uses the green hydrogen and waste CO2 to produce ultra-low carbon fuels, will be used to produce fuels directly on-site.
This is a groundbreaking moment for Infinium and electro-fuels. The future production facility in France is a demonstration of the huge commitment global industry leaders like ENGIE are making to reduce the carbon footprint of aviation, shipping, and truck fleets said Infinium CEO Robert Schuetzle.
Some 300 000 tonnes of CO2 will be captured by ArcelorMittal from its steel production facilities. This will be combined with green hydrogen, produced by a 400 MW electrolyzer installed by ENGIE, which will act on the project as a global integrator.
The project was chosen by the French Environment and Energy Management Agency (ADEME) in December 2021 to get financial support for its development.
This unique partnership, based on CO2 from ArcelorMittal’s steelmaking operations, is also a great example of what can happen when leaders from manufacturing, energy, government, and technology come together with a shared mission, said Robert Schuetzle.
The project is anticipated to generate more than EUR 500 million worth of investment and is also being supported by the Dunkirk urban community, the Dunkirk Grand Port Maritime, and the Hauts-de-France region.
We are very proud that this consortium has chosen Dunkirk as a site for its CO2 circular economy hub. Producing e-fuels for the air and sea transport sectors is a way of reconnecting Dunkirk with its oil-refining past – except that henceforth this will be at a net-zero industrial hub, guaranteeing long-term industrial development. The industrial hub will also get other manufacturers interested in growing and leveraging synergies interested in Dunkirk. The project will create jobs and new opportunities both for the region and for the country, said Patrice Vergriete, President of the Dunkirk Coastal Urban Community.
Other applications for the chemicals industry are also envisaged. The final investment decision for the Reuze project should come around the end of 2023.
We are delighted with this new industrial unit which will convert CO2 into synthetic fuel. It is fully in line with the strategy of decarbonizing the industry-port area and the region more widely, something we have been working on together for several years now, said Maurice Georges, President of Dunkirk’s Grand Port Maritime Directorate.
