H4 Marseille Fos secures biogenic carbon dioxide supply for hydrogen

The agreement marks the emergence of the first structured carbon capture and utilisation (CCU) value chain in France.

Locally sourced CO₂ for EU’s fuel production

The agreement secures 50% of the CO₂ supply that H4 Marseille Fos needs to produce methanol, which is then further refined into e-SAF. The Rhône Décarbonation project (Vicat, SPSE, Elengy) captures CO₂ at source along the Rhône corridor and transports it to industrial users. Through its core component VAIA, 1.2 million tpy of CO₂ is captured at Vicat's Montalieu-Vercieu cement plant (Isère) using proven capture technologies, then transported to H4 Marseille Fos via SPSE's pipeline infrastructure. The secured biogenic CO₂ will supply H4 Marseille Fos's e-SAF production from the targeted production start in 2032.

Decarbonisation of aviation made in Europe

H4 Marseille Fos is one of the most advanced e-SAF projects in Europe. From 2032, the plant will produce 75 000 tpy of e-SAF using methanol-to-jet technology and cut greenhouse gas emissions by up to 84% compared with fossil kerosene, amounting to around 240 000 tpy of CO₂e saved each year.

This makes a substantial contribution to the European target of reaching a 10% e-SAF share in aviation fuels by 2040 as defined in the ReFuelEU Aviation Regulation. With the biogenic CO₂ supply now secured, H4 Marseille Fos takes a further step toward its final investment decision (FID), targeted for 2028.

An industrial value chain for southern France, more energy resilience for Europe Independence from fossil energy imports has become considerably more important given geopolitical uncertainty and volatile energy markets. In support of European efforts to drive energy resilience, H4 Marseille Fos creates a flexible, locally anchored production chain for SAF. Hy2gen's goal is to produce fuel compliant with EU sustainability regulations for fuel suppliers. e-SAF counts toward the European quotas if the hydrogen comes from renewable electricity and low carbon and the carbon from a sustainable, biogenic source by 2040. The biogenic CO₂ now secured fulfills this criterium and forms a central building block of the RefuelEU-compliant e-SAF production that H4 Marseille Fos aims to build.

The methanol-to-jet technology also allows e-methanol to be delivered by ship and processed into e-SAF on site. The site can thus serve over the long term as a European import hub for e-methanol, for example from regions with particularly competitive production costs.

Cyril Dufau-Sansot, CEO of Hy2gen, said: "With this agreement, H4 Marseille Fos secures a critical building block of its value chain: a reliable, sustainable CO₂ source. The project creates a local value chain in the south of France, delivering new job opportunities and a new economic driver for the region. Peaking energy prices show weaknesses of fossil energy carriers, which are partly dependent on fragile supply chains in the current political climate. With RFNBO and low-carbon e-fuels, Europe and other regions can develop their own fuel supply without relying on fossil resources such as crude oil. Renewable electricity, water, and biogenic CO2 are the key feedstocks required to produce RFNBO and low-carbon products and we have them right here."

Alexis Martinez, CEO H4 Marseille Fos, commented: "Securing 50% of our biogenic CO₂ supply with industrial partners as solid as Vicat, SPSE and Elengy sends a strong signal to the entire ecosystem. The CCU sector is taking shape with the involvement of all stakeholders and shows that H4 Marseille Fos is firmly rooted in the industrial reality of the region."

Read the article online at: https://www.globalhydrogenreview.com/hydrogen/28072026/h4-marseille-fos-secures-biogenic-carbon-dioxide-supply-for-hydrogen/