France to accelerate electrification of Fos
French President Emmanuel Macron highlighted the importance of the Jonquiere-Foc power transmission line, a critical infrastructure needed for industrial projects of ArcelorMittal France, Marcegaglia Fos-sur-Mer, developer of environmentally friendly GravitHy steel, notes Callanish.
The Réseau de Transport d'Electricité RTE company is building and operating a 400 kV high-voltage transmission line to supply the Fos-sur-Mer industrial area near Marseille.
The existing energy system cannot meet the growing electricity needs of the region, which is implementing major industrial projects in the production of environmentally friendly steel, hydrogen and other industries. A line capable of transmitting large amounts of electricity over long distances is considered essential for the decarbonization and reindustrialization of the southern Mediterranean corridor.
"I welcome RTE's commitment to a specific acceleration of connection times. These are investments in large industrial and port areas: Dunkirk, Le Havre, Fos. France's largest ports are competitive locations for new industries, and this is the acceleration they need," Macron said at a meeting of France's electrification team held at the Elysee Palace earlier this week.
"I also welcome the efforts of Enedis, which is committed to ensuring that these electrification projects are implemented 30% faster than before. As part of these connectivity efforts, we will need to build new transmission lines. In particular, this concerns the line that is supposed to provide the industrial zone of the Fos. This line is necessary," he added.
He promised that the line will be expanded and put into operation by the time 2029.
Its completion will significantly increase the power supply capabilities of the entire Foz-Étan-de-Berre area. The upgrade of the line is part of the Foc-Ber-Provence 2030 electrification program, a French infrastructure initiative led by RTE aimed at significantly enhancing the electricity supply to the Foc-sur-Mer and Étan-de-Ber industrial areas.
According to the presentation of the RTE project, seen by Kallanish, the high-voltage network of the southeast was built in the 1970s and is no longer suitable for this purpose, given the growing demand for electricity. Given that 60% of the region's electricity comes from the Rhone Valley, strengthening supplies from the north has become vital. The electrification program includes key works such as strengthening existing 400,000 volt lines; upgrading the 225,000 volt line to 400,000 volts; and building a new 400,000 volt overhead line between Fos-sur-Mer and Jonquiere-Saint-Vincent.
Author: Natalia Kapra
Kallanish.com