The Minister for Industry Roland Lescure launched on Friday April 26, 2024 “a call for expressions of interest” from hydrocarbon players, so that they can experiment with carbon storage projects. The objective is to test this technology in four or five sites in France at the beginning of 2025, with the aim of accelerating the decarbonization of certain industries.
As part of the France 2030 program, the minister announced during a visit to the company Technip Energies, in Sens (Yonne), an envelope of more than a billion euros devoted to “experimentation and to support » large carbon emitting sites such as cement plants, steelworks or aluminum smelters.
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What is CO2 capture and storage?
This technology consists of capturing CO2 from its Source of production, before it reaches the atmosphere, then storing it underground. So it’s about sending the carbon back to where it came from. The CO2 must be transported, then liquefied, and finally sent via “carbon pipelines” to former oil fields or gas reservoirs (aquifer).
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Essential investment or false solution?
Today, the latest scenarios from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) leading to carbon neutrality integrate these technologies, in addition to natural and sobriety solutions.
However, CO2 capture and storage remains highly criticized, since it could prolong dependence on fossil fuels. These technologies could distract manufacturers from the decarbonization of their production processes, and delay their transition.
