Minister Bruno Le Maire talking at a go to to the Villateneuse geothermal web site in Seine-Saint-Denise, France (supply: Video screenshot, Bruno Le Maire by way of Twitter)
French Minister Bruno Le Maire has introduced new measures to simplifythe allowing course of for tasks in geothermal, important minerals, and CO2 storage.
France’s Ministry of the Financial system, Finance, Industrial and Digital Sovereignty has introduced measures to simplify the mining procedures associated to geothermal power, CO2 storage, and significant minerals. Amongst different enchancment, the brand new measures intention to chop the allowing time by half for unique analysis permits associated to geothermal tasks.
Simplifying permits and highlighting geothermal measures
The announcement was made by Minister Bruno Le Maire and Delegate Minister Rolan Lescure throughout the go to to the development web site of the Villetaneuse geothermal facility in Seine-Saint-Denise. There have been for main factors that had been made throughout the announcement:
- Parallel analysis of analysis allow purposes
The present processing time for an unique analysis allow utility for geothermal power, mining, or CO2 storage has theoretical deadlines of 16 to 18 months, however precise purposes can take as much as greater than 20 years. This delay has considerably slowed down tasks of this nature in France.
The brand new measures intention to conduct the totally different phases of utility analysis in parallel. This could make it attainable course of allow purposes in 6 to 9 months – about half of the present prescribed interval. That is anticipated to translate to about ten unique analysis permits granted for geothermal tasks per 12 months.
Within the occasion of outstanding circumstances, the holder of an unique analysis allow could request for a three-year extension for the allow.
- Conversion of hydrocarbon wells to CO2 storage
The brand new invoice creates the potential for remodeling or promoting hydrocarbon wells for undergrounds CO2 storage. This may permit for a “final resort” decarbonization options that may scale back carbon emissions for sure industrial processes the place residual CO2 emissions are inherent and can’t be eradicated.
- Group of a “Geothermal power, mines, and transition” occasion
Lastly, the Ministry might be organizing a serious occasion later this 12 months to spotlight the underground sources for the power transition. This occasion might be a chance to current the nationwide subsoil sources and makes use of coverage, in addition to to announce the measured beneath the geothermal motion plan and extra simplification and acceleration measures.
An motion plan for elevated geothermal deployment
“To achieve the power transition and strengthen its industrial sovereignty, France should reconnect with its mining historical past. The simplification invoice will assist speed up tasks which can be important for the power transition and might contribute to our financial prosperity. I’m pondering particularly of geothermal power, a sovereign and carbon-free power, lithium, for electrical batteries, but additionally copper, for electrical networks, wind generators and photovoltaic panels,” stated Le Maire throughout the go to.
“Geothermal power, important metals, uncommon earths, carbon storage: the keys to profitable decarbonization lie beneath our ft. For this reason the Authorities has put in place the circumstances for a French mining revival since 2022, with a brand new mining stock, the creation of a public personal funding fund, the inexperienced trade tax credit score and the nationwide technique,” added Lescure.
Earlier this 12 months, the Ministry of Power Transition of France printed an motion plan to speed up the event of the geothermal power sector. Amongst different measures, the motion plan seeks to extend the variety of deep geothermal operations by 40% earlier than 2030 and double the annual charge of geothermal warmth pump installations by 2025.
Supply: Ministry of the Financial system, Finance, and Industrial and Digital Sovereignty
