Completion of the GOCO2 project’s preliminary consultation phase with dialogue set to continue

Since 29 September, a preliminary consultation has been underway regarding the GOCO₂ project. This consultation is being conducted under the guidance of the National Commission for Public Debate (CNDP), which appointed three guarantors – Jean-Pierre Bompard, Marc Navez and Catherine Trebaol – to assist with preparing the consultation framework and to ensure its proper conduct.

Across the five affected departments (Deux-Sèvres, Ille-et-Vilaine, Loire-Atlantique, Maine-et-Loire, Mayenne), 35 meetings have been held, attended by almost 1,500 participants. Attendees were given the opportunity to obtain information, express their views and ask questions to the project sponsors through public meetings, workshops on pipelines, market-focused sessions and webinars. Additionally, the consultation mini site has collected 60 contributions and 15 stakeholder dossiers (as of 16 December), submitted by local authorities, chambers of commerce, economic players, associations and others. These exchanges and contributions have enabled the project sponsors to fully appreciate the local issues at stake and to inform the next stages of the project’s development

At the public general meeting held in Saint-Nazaire, the project sponsors gave an update on the key issues that shaped the three months of preliminary consultation.

Jean-François Bricaud, Director of Decarbonisation & Industrial Development at Heidelberg Materials France, started by reiterating the rationale behind decarbonising cement and lime production: “We have frequently been asked about the value of continuing to produce cement and lime, and the relevance of CO₂ capture. Our roadmap is clear: our primary objective is to support evolving demand which, although declining, remains significant, while continuing to produce in France; this is a matter of industrial sovereignty. Within this context, and given the climate challenge, we are fully committed to reducing greenhouse gases as much as we can and, as a last resort, we are considering capturing the residual CO₂ emitted by our furnaces.”

Matters related to the financing of the project, representing a projected investment of 2.5 billion euro, were discussed. “GOCO₂ relies on private funding but also requires public support. The latter is essential to ensure the project’s commitment within the shortest possible timeframe and to finance infrastructure that will be vital for the Grand Ouest region’s economy in the future,” underscored Thomas de Charette, Directeur of Cement Decarbonisation at Lafarge Ciments.

Vincent Lelong, Head of Decarbonisation for Southern Europe at Lhoist, also reviewed the carbon footprint of the GOCO₂ project. “Our project aims to prevent the emission of 2.2 million tonnes of CO₂ each year. We have often been asked for more precise figures: we will present them as soon as they are available. But one thing is certain: GOCO₂ will have a positive impact in terms of greenhouse gas emissions from its very first year of operation.”

Laurent Muzart, Project Development Manager for GOCO₂ at NaTran, added: “Through the consultation process, we have been able to visit all the areas affected by the pipeline survey zones. We have notably heard a strong demand from local authorities, the agricultural sector and environmental associations for dialogue – dialogue we will continue to pursue as the project progresses. The coming months will allow us to refine the pipeline corridors based on the feedback we have received.”

The downstream aspect of the project, particularly the challenges related to geological CO₂ storage, was also addressed: “We anticipated that CO₂ storage would raise numerous questions, even though this topic is beyond the scope of the consultation and will take place outside of France. The preliminary consultation has enabled us to engage with subject matter experts and provide answers, and will continue to further the discussion in future exchanges,” stated Joachim Labauge, CO₂ Development Director at Elengy.
 

The preliminary consultation will conclude on Friday 19 December. The project website will remain accessible following the consultation for those wishing to review the information related to the project, as will all contributions, including position papers submitted by organised groups.

Subsequently, the consultation guarantors will draft a report on the preliminary consultation, synthesise the participant’s contributions and provide recommendations for the continuation of public engagement regarding the GOCO₂ project.

Within a maximum of two months following the publication of this report, the project sponsors will present the lessons learned from the preliminary consultation, the commitments they are making for the next stages of the project and their responses to the recommendations put forward by the guarantors.

Public participation will continue through an ongoing consultation, overseen by a guarantor appointed by the CNDP. This process will support the upcoming phases of study and the preparation of administrative procedures. The ongoing consultation will thus allow for a deeper exploration of certain topics raised during the preliminary consultation and provide updated information on the project. 

Launched in 2021, GOCO₂ brings together Heidelberg Materials France, Lafarge Ciments, Lhoist, NaTran, Elengy and RTE to tackle the challenge of decarbonising cement and lime production in the Grand Ouest region. The project covers several departments: Deux-Sèvres, Mayenne, Maine-et-Loire, Ille-et-Vilaine and Loire-Atlantique. 

The objective is to prevent the release of 2.2 million tonnes of CO₂ annually into the atmosphere from 2031 onwards (equivalent to the emissions of the Nantes metropolitan area). GOCO₂, by enabling the future connection of new emitters, supports the long-term viability of the industrial activities in the Grand Ouest and fosters the development of a CO₂ recovery sector. The total estimated investment for GOCO₂ is approximately 2.5 billion euro.
 

GOCO₂ is an umbrella for several complementary operations enabling the capture of CO₂ and its transport for the purpose of permanent geological storage:

• The capture of CO₂ de la cimenterie Heidelberg Materials d’Airvault, dans les Deux-Sèvres ;
• The capture of CO₂ de la cimenterie Lafarge Ciments de Saint-Pierre-la-Cour, dans la Mayenne ;
• The capture of CO₂ des fours à chaux de Lhoist, à Neau, dans la Mayenne également ;
• The transport of CO₂ par un réseau de canalisations souterraines d’une longueur évaluée à 375 kilomètres, développé par NaTran ;
• The CO₂ liquefaction terminal and ship loading facility in Montoir-de-Bretagne, developed by Elengy;
• Connection to the electricity transmission network, managed by RTE.