Liliane Herculano, a Project Manager who deals with regulatory aspects, explained: “Due to its size, the project has been subjected to an environmental assessment. With the help of an environmental engineer, we carried out a year-long fauna and flora impact study, which represents a complete life cycle.” This allowed Air Liquide to adapt the project in terms of its design, construction and operation. “As a simple example, we decided to excavate the site between September and October 2022, as this is a time of year when animals are neither hibernating nor in their breeding period,” explained Liliane.
Air Liquide has worked to preserve the environment and support the entire area surrounding the Normand’Hy site. This project will contribute to the economic development of the region and build up a unique expertise in hydrogen production. The Group is already committed to developing this expertise through the H2 Academy, a higher education training initiative that teaches younger generations in the area about new career paths within the hydrogen industry.
Air Liquide’s objective is to accelerate the development of renewable and low-carbon hydrogen on a global scale. To achieve this, it has decided to invest at least 8 billion euros in this area by 2035. The Normand’Hy project is this ambition brought to life!
(3) In 2019, the Carbone 4 consulting firm estimated the average emissions per person and per year in France to be nearly 10 tons of CO2 equivalent.
“This pioneering project is a unique opportunity for industrial players in this area of Normandy, as well as for mobility - it will be a milestone.”
[ Mathieu Cavélius ]