Natural hydrogen exploration continues in France! The French Ministry for Energy Transition has awarded two exclusive exploration permits (PER) in the Aquitaine region to 45-8 Energy and its partner Storengy (a subsidiary of Engie).
The first project, called “Morensin,” is located north of Bayonne and covers an area of 691 km²; the second, “Grand Rieu,” is located west of Pau, covering an area of 266 km². The objective is to gain a better understanding of the geological characteristics of the two areas in order to assess their natural hydrogen potential. The company 45-8 states in its press release that the coming months will be “devoted to the processing and analysis of existing geological and geophysical data” and that, subsequently, “new data acquisitions will be carried out, such as gravimetry, passive seismic surveys and measurements of hydrogen concentrations in the soil.”
These two permits are in addition to the “Sauve Terre H2” PER obtained in December 2023 by the startup TBH2 Aquitaine in the Atlantic Pyrenees. And the list could well grow longer soon!
On April 16, the French government updated its National Strategy for Decarbonized Hydrogen. A paragraph devoted to natural hydrogen states that France “wishes to give itself the means to become a pioneer in this energy of the future, which could also be available on its territory.”