Paris, Dec 4 (FN Agency) France has for the first time authorized the exploration of natural hydrogen deposits at a site in the country’s southeast, according to a decree published on Sunday in the Official Journal of the French Republic. “The exclusive exploration permit for natural hydrogen, helium and related substances concerns an area of some 225 square kilometers [86.8 square miles] in the Pyrenees-Atlantiques department,” the document signed by the Ministry of Ecological Transition read. The permit was granted to the TBH2 Aquitaine company for five years. Media reported that a total of six applications for hydrogen exploration had been submitted, with the remaining five still under consideration. The drilling will reportedly start in two to three years following new authorizations.
France has seen a growing interest in hydrogen, which is believed to be able to replace fossil fuels, especially in manufacturing and transportation, amid government plans to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. In July, French lawmakers adopted a green industry bill, which proposed a significant reduction in the 17-month environmental assessment period for businesses and the introduction of a tax credit in the amount of 500 million euros ($544 million) annually to encourage investment in the production of batteries, heat pumps, wind panels, solar panels and low-carbon hydrogen. Hydrogen is conventionally categorized depending on its color and the carbon footprint emitted during its production. The “green” is considered the purest, produced using water electrolysis with energy from renewable sources. The “dirtiest” is “gray”, as carbon dioxide is emitted into the atmosphere during production.