Renewable energy company Qair has been awarded a parcel on Haropa Port site, in Le Havre, France, to develop its eMethanol production project Methavert.

The 60-hectare site is located in Rogerville, in the immediate vicinity of the Grand Canal du Havre and the A29 motorway. It is one of five Haropa Port parcels designated as ‘France 2030 industrial sites’ in May 2024 and benefiting from government support for the implementation of industrial projects.

Developed by Qair, Methavert aims to establish a renewable hydrogen and methanol production within the industrial port area of Le Havre, the first Northern European deep-water entry point for imports and the final port for exports.  The facility will initially produce 200,000 tons of eMethanol to support the decarbonization of maritime transport and other high-emission and hard-to-abate industries (hard-to-abate sectors). Integrated seamlessly into the local ecosystem, the project will benefit from existing methanol storage facilities and align with the ongoing decarbonization efforts of nearby industrial sites and port infrastructure.

Qair and Haropa Port plan to work together to set up a renewable methanol value transforming the industrial port area and positioning the Port of Le Havre as a pivotal hub on the Green Corridors of tomorrow’s maritime transport.

The merger of the ports of Le Havre, Rouen and Paris, Haropa Port supports a comprehensive initiative to develop land for industrial and logistics projects strategically connected to essential utilities like transport and energy networks. in line with the zero net artificialization (ZAN) objective, Haropa Port is implementing a land densification strategy that reuses previously developed essentially ‘rebuilding the port on the port’. This approach aligns with Haropa Port’s 2020-2025 strategic objective to position the Seine axis industrial port areas central hubs for France’s industrial revitalization development.

“We are delighted to have been awarded in the ‘Ouest A29’ call for projects. This demonstrates the confidence that Haropa Port has placed in us to implement our hydrogen and e-molecule strategy and to participate in the decarbonization of maritime transport and the chemical industry, particularly on the Seine Axis. With such a milestone, Qair  reinforces its intention to become a major hydrogen player, both in France and internationally,” said Guirec Dufour, CEO of Qair France.

“Haropa Port is mobilizing its land for the reindustrialization of the region, with the dual objective of responding to the national strategy of sovereignty in the industries of the future and contributing to the decarbonization of the existing ecosystem. The ‘Ouest A29’ site is a historic location for HAROPA PORT and illustrates our desire to participate in the reindustrialization of the region,” said Daniel Havis, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Haropa Port.