The government must announce, this Thursday, November 7, the redevelopment of 60 hectares of land in the port of Le Havre (Seine-Maritime) with a view to installing three new factories. These projects target the production of lithium, methanol and the import and production of hydrogen. Private investments estimated at 2.7 billion euros. They were selected as part of a call for projects labeled “turnkey industrial land France 2030”, launched by the public manager of the Seine ports Haropa Port.
The first candidate for installation in Le Havre, Luxembourg's Livista Energy, plans to invest 1.2 billion euros to create a refinery for the production of battery-quality lithium. Installed on a plot of approximately 30 hectares, the project should generate 300 direct jobs. The French company Qair plans to produce and store hydrogen and methanol for a total investment of 500 million euros and 150 direct jobs generated.
The French company must share the remaining 30 hectares with the American Air Products. The latter plans to build a hydrogen import terminal in gaseous form for a total investment of 1.1 billion euros for 270 jobs generated. This installation project follows the signing, in July 2024, of a first contract with the giant TotalEnergies for the supply of 500,000 tonnes per year of green hydrogen, in order to reduce carbon emissions from its refinery located in Le Havre.
Significant technical challenges for selected industrial projects
Air Products' hydrogen import project nevertheless faces significant technical challenges in transporting its molecules in gas form. The mode of transport and the origin of the hydrogen have not yet been confirmed. Hydrogen gas can be transported by pipeline. In the case of maritime transport, the sector prefers to opt for hydrogen in the form of ammonia or ethanol, because its gaseous equivalent proves difficult to liquefy and occupies large volumes, reducing the quantities that can be stored in a limited space. .
The Luxembourg lithium refinery project is about to be added to the long list of projects already planned in France. Ensorcia, Viridian Lithium, Imerys… Although there are many players with factory projects in France, none have yet announced firm investment decisions.
These three factories must be built between 2026 and 2029. They will benefit, as part of their label, from support from the State aimed at accelerating the administrative procedures linked to the installation. At the same time, Haropa Port, in charge of the port of Le Havre, must ensure the development of the land – connection to public networks and carrying out preparatory work. These three sites will also be able to obtain direct access to the Grand Canal du Havre, which leads to the English Channel. The land is part of the fifty “turnkey” industrial sites announced in April by the previous government.
