The wind of industry is turning in the Territoire de Belfort. While the two major historical contractors – Alstom and General Electric (GE) – are weakened by repeated social plans, local authorities are working hard to diversify their economy. Two areas are privileged: logistics, with the inauguration, at the end of 2021 at the Aeroparc de Fontaine, of an Amazon platform (310 jobs), and hydrogen, a gas today equipped with all the virtues for decarbonizing global industry.
In this regard, the department will be enriched with a new technological brick with the establishment, by 2024 and in the same industrial zone, of a mega-plant of electrolysers (1.3 gigawatt per year) . At stake: 400 direct jobs. It is the Drôme company McPhy, specializing in equipment for the production and distribution of clean hydrogen, which is at the origin of the project. However, its realization remains conditional on obtaining, “Well underway” according to the Ministry of the Economy, European funding through an important Project of common European interest, which will be integrated into the France Relance plan.
Several strengths tipped the scales in favor of the Territoire de Belfort, which was in competition with Hauts-de-France and the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, starting with a solid industrial culture and the rise of an ecosystem devoted to hydrogen, with more than 150 million euros of planned investments in Greater Belfort (52 municipalities) and the presence of major players around it. Thus, the equipment manufacturer Faurecia has located its global center of expertise for this gas in Bavans (Doubs) and Gaussin Manugistique is developing in Héricourt (Haute-Saône) a range of hydrogen vehicles for port and airport logistics and logistics centers and industrial.
“A pledge of seriousness and responsiveness”
Located at the crossroads of France, Germany and Switzerland, the territory has also been able to seduce thanks to its pool of engineers and its university of technology, UTBM. Spurred on by McPhy, it will also open, from the start of the 2021-2022 school year, a new sector combining energy (hydrogen) and mechanics. Rare and notable fact, all the communities, whatever their political color, aligned themselves.
From the socialist president of the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region, Marie-Guite Dufay, to the LR president of Grand Belfort, Damien Meslot, including the Minister of the Economy, Bruno Le Maire (LRM), all spoke of a single voice through a one-stop-shop piloted from Belfort. “A pledge of seriousness and responsiveness, greets Mr. Meslot. Initially, McPhy wanted six hectares of land, then asked for two more. He was answered positively during the day. ”
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