Decarbonization: the government announces 12 million euros of studies on Dunkirk

Europe 1 with AFP // Photo credits: 12:51 p.m., April 8, 2024

The State will put 12 million euros on the table to finance a series of studies on ways to reduce carbon emissions from the Dunkirk region, the largest CO2 emitter in Europe, by 2030, announced the government on Monday. 

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The Minister of Industry and Energy, Roland Lescure, signed the first ZIBaC (low-carbon industrial zones) agreement in Dunkirk on Monday, which aims to finance these studies through Ademe, the ecological transition agency. . Their objective is the “decarbonization” of the region, he indicated, specifying that the studies will be followed by a second, more operational phase relating to the financing of the necessary investments.

Producing carbon-free electricity

These studies, carried out between now and the summer, will focus on the production of “cheap carbon-free electricity”, from wind turbines, and nuclear reactors in the EPR2 project, heat recovery networks from large industrial companies (ArcelorMittal and Aluminum Dunkirk) or even “carbon capture”.

“We have never supported a project of this magnitude,” said Baptiste Perrissin-Fabert, deputy general director of Ademe, recalling that with 16 million tonnes of CO2 emitted per year, Dunkirk represents “5% of France's emissions, so it's about concentrating resources to have maximum impact." After Dunkirk, other ZIBacs are planned in France, notably in Le Havre, Saint-Nazaire, Fos-sur-Mer, the minister indicated.

“We have signed decarbonization contracts with the 50 highest emitting sites, which represent 60% of industry emissions, you have seven here” in Dunkirk, said the minister, stressing that these contracts have “very concrete objectives , with between 45% and 50% of emissions reductions by 2030.