The launch of GOCO2
On Monday 10 July 2023, Elengy, GRTgaz, Heidelberg Materials, Lafarge, Lhoist and Total Energies announced the launch of the Grand Ouest CO₂ decarbonisation project.
The goal of the project, which is supported by the Pays de la Loire region and the Grand Port Maritime de Nantes Saint-Nazaire (GPMNSN), is to develop an investment programme to capture the CO₂ emitted by industrial sites for transport via pipeline to the Saint-Nazaire maritime export terminal, where it will be stored in permanent geological structures. The estimated capacity is 2.6 million tonnes per year by 2030.
The GOCO₂ project partners believe strongly in the benefits of a collective approach. They are preparing to jointly launch the studies necessary for this decarbonisation project planned for 2030.
GOCO₂ is a tangible, ambitious commitment to accelerate the decarbonisation of industrial sites in France’s Grand Ouest region, supplementing actions to avoid and reduce CO₂ emissions.
GOCO2 is mainly located in the Pays de la Loire and Nouvelle-Aquitaine regions. It is currently the largest decarbonisation project in western France in terms of volume of CO₂ captured and transported. Looking further ahead, it could transport and export up to 4 million tonnes of CO₂ per year by 2050, i.e. more than 75% of the Grand Ouest region’s industrial emissions at this time.
The project forms part of France’s Carbon Capture, Use and Storage (CCUS) Strategy, as well as the French Environment and Energy Management Agency's (ADEME) Low-Carbon Industrial Zones Call for Projects (ZIBaC).
A project that is integrated into the local ecosystem
GOCO₂ is perfectly integrated into the local ecosystem. It benefits in part from existing infrastructures within the Grand Port Maritime Nantes Saint-Nazaire (GPMNSN).
Eventually, it will be used to transport CO2 emissions from other manufacturers in the Grand Ouest region, or biogenic CO₂ resulting from the biomethane purification process. It will also be an asset in attracting new industrial sites to the area by offering access to a decarbonisation infrastructure.
