DECARBONISING THE AUTOMOTIVE AND MOBILITY SECTORS
direct jobs will be created when the Verkor Gigafactory opens
motorcar region in France with Renault, Stellantis and Toyota sites
hectares available to host and develop decarbonisation-related industrial activities.
Dunkirk’s energy mix will produce batteries that are 5 times less polluting than those produced in China
A SECTOR IN FULL TRANSITION
The end of the sale of engine-powered vehicles is set for 2035. The automotive and mobility sector as a whole is thus seeing a profound transformation.
The growth in electric car sales involves an ever-increasing demand for batteries and a growing need for strategic metals.
Therefore, the French government is planning to create two platforms specifically for strategic metal recycling, including one in Dunkirk for batteries. The aim is to substitute the use of extracted metals with recycled metals as quickly as possible. France’s leading automotive region, the Hauts-de-France is currently home to three global car manufacturers: Toyota, Renault and Stellantis (formerly PSA). It also has many parts manufacturers and subcontractors, representing more than 55,000 employees in the sector, soon to be increased by the arrival of the Verkor Gigafactory in Dunkirk.
VERKOR, SPEARHEADING THE AUTOMOTIVE SECTOR IN DUNKIRK
- The French company Verkor is about to set up a “Gigafactory” for “low-carbon” battery manufacturing in the Dunkirk area. It will be located on an 80 hectare plot of land (extendible) in the Major Industries Area (ZGI) of the Grand Port Maritime of Dunkirk. Between now and 2030, the company will be in a position to supply around 300,000 high performance batteries for top of the range electric vehicles or sports cars such as those made by Alpine (Renault Group).
- Dunkirk’s Verkor Gigafactory will create up to 1,200 direct jobs in the first phase and almost 2,000 in the long run.
- The total investment in this project amounts to 2.5 billion euros.
- With 3 plants of this type, the Hauts-de-France region has positioned itself as a real “Battery Valley”.
DISCOVER THE STAKEHOLDERS IN DECARBONISING THE MOBILITY SECTOR IN DUNKIRK
ENGIE AND INFINIUM – REUZE PROJECT
ENGIE and Infinium, companies specialising in ultra-low carbon fuel technologies, have announced a partnership for the production of synthetic fuel by recovering the CO2 emitted by ArcelorMittal in Dunkirk. It will be capable of capturing 300,000 tonnes of CO2 on the ArcelorMittal site in Dunkirk. Combined with the green hydrogen produced by a 400 MW electrolyser installed by ENGIE, the company will be able to produce fuel for sectors that are difficult to decarbonise, such as air and sea transport. Production is due to begin in 2026.
H2V59 – HYDROGEN PRODUCTION SITE
The H2V59 hydrogen production site in Loon Plage is going to produce almost 28,000 tonnes of hydrogen through the electrolysis of water. This represents almost 3% of French production. The factory is due to be commissioned in 2022-2023.
EDF AND HYNAMICS – SHYMED
The project is planning for the commissioning of 1 MW green hydrogen production and distribution station on the site of the Dunkirk Energy Recovery Centre to power buses and rubbish trucks in particular in January 2024. The Greater Dunkirk Urban Council, EDF, Hynamics (a subsidiary belonging 100% to EDF), Dalkia Wastenergy and Transdev are working together on this project which will help to prevent the emission of 1,200 T of CO2 from the year 2024, then 2,200 T/year in the medium term.
DUNKERQUE LNG – LNG REFUELLING STATION
Dunkerque LNG has opened an LNG refuelling station at Dunkirk Port’s methane terminal, with a 3,000 loading slot capacity per year.
GAZ’UP
Since 26 November 2012, GAZ’UP has been providing Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) and Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) on the territory of the town of Craywick right in the heart of the Greater Dunkirk Urban Council. Dunkirk’s Gaz’up is open to all users, both individuals and professionals, heavy and light vehicles.
DUNKIRK: FUTURE CORNERSTONE OF STRATEGIC METAL RECYCLING IN FRANCE
- A major topic when it comes to successful decarbonisation, France wishes to reduce its dependency on strategic metal imports, particularly on China which has a virtual monopoly. As with rare earth metals, resorting to recycling will limit the need to produce these metals in the first place.
- Philippe Varin (former CEO of the PSA Group) advocated for the creation of public/private investment fund and two platforms specifically for the recycling of strategic metals. This would lead Dunkirk to become the battery recycling platform, while a second site close to Pau would be home to the permanent magnet reconditioning centre. These two sites will help to secure 20 to 30% of national needs.
- The TEAM2 National Competitive Cluster specialising in recycling and industrial ecology has been operating in the region (close to Lens) since 2010 and has played an important role in Dunkirk being chosen as the place to set up the battery recycling industry.
KUBOTA: JAPANESE TRACTOR MANUFACTURER, OPERATING HERE SINCE 2015
- In April 2015, KUBOTA FARM MACHINERY EUROPE (KFME) set up its tractor manufacturing business in Bierne (Hauts de Flandre Greater District Council), the only tractor manufacturing plant in Europe. This initial investment of more than 40 million euros called for 160 people to be recruited with the aim of eventually reaching a production capacity of 3,000 medium power tractors. Today, 40% of the site’s production is intended for Europe, 40% is exported to the USA and 20% to Asia and Australia. The factory currently employees around 300 staff and has an annual production of 2,350 tractors.
- The manufacturer regularly reinvests in its site in order to increase its production capacity and improve its productivity.
- Setting up in the territory of Dunkirk was a win-win for Kubota.
WHY HAS THE LOW CARBON MOBILITY INDUSTRY BEEN SET UP IN DUNKIRK?
Reason No. 1
Reason No. 2
Reason No. 3
Reason No. 4
Reason No. 5
