The French chemical industry relies on biomass boilers to do without fossil fuels (POOL/AFP/Archives/BENOIT TESSIER)
The recovery plan has accelerated the decarbonization projects of the French chemical industry, which relies in particular on biomass boilers to do without fossil fuels and reduce its dependence on imported gas, France Chimie said on Wednesday.
“Two-thirds of avoided emissions” from the French chemical industry will come from “14 biomass boiler projects that will be launched,” said Luc Benoit-Cattin, president of France Chimie, at a press conference on Wednesday.
For the sector, the “decarbonization of heat” (i.e. doing without fossil energy to produce steam) is a “key point”, he underlined, this pole representing approximately “50% CO2 emissions from chemicals”.
“We are very mobilized to continue these investments in the decarbonization of heat and we would like an extension of the calls for projects which have been a real success”, added the manager of France Chimie, which federates 1,200 groups or companies bringing together 220,000 employees.
Investments in biomass boilers or boilers powered by “solid recovered fuels” also make it possible to “reduce” dependence on imported gas, he noted.
The manager pointed out that of the 200 industrial projects supported by public aid as part of the recovery plan, 25% relate to energy transition or the chemical recycling of plastic, while 35% are devoted to the development of “sectors of excellence”, half of which for “biosourced products” or “materials of excellence intended for automotive batteries”.
For the future, the sector has set a target of reducing its emissions by 26% in 2030 (compared to 2015) by working on “energy efficiency, decarbonization 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 via the France 2030 plan for the production of green hydrogen, the capture and recovery of CO2 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, in particular those in green chemistry in full development.
Chemistry is “an essential intermediate link” which should allow many other sectors to decarbonize, such as that of batteries in the automobile or insulation products in the building industry, underlined Mr. Benoit-Cattin.
© 2022 AFP
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