DHUNE

DHUNE is a hydrogen infrastructure project in the Dunkirk industrial zone, with an extension to Belgium planned. It will thus contribute to the decarbonisation of North-Western Europe and be fully integrated into a European market. It is divided into two phases:

• Phase I: A hydrogen pipeline transport grid at the port of Dunkirk to connect up the low-carbon hydrogen production and consumption projects. The aim is to foster the development of decarbonisation solutions in an industrial-port zone with high greenhouse-gas emissions that account for 20% of industrial CO₂ emissions in France.
• Phase II: Extension of grid to Belgium and integration of a hydrogen terminal at the Port of Dunkirk. The total grid will span approximately 50 km in France.

This project was financed by the State as part of France 2030 operated by ADEME:

The main purpose will be industrial use with the replacement of coke and natural gas with renewable or low-carbon hydrogen. Heavy mobility is one of the additional use options being considered, on roads and waterways.

• Q4 2022: Call for interest for the hydrogen grid project.
• Early 2023: Feasibility study launched after the success of the call for interest.
• Early 2024: launch of basic studies (FEED).

• Half 2025: End of basic studies, planned investment decision (FID)
• End 2027: Scheduled date of 1st commissioning.
• 2034: Extension of grid to Belgium and connection to a hydrogen terminal for integration into a North-West European grid.

• Length: 50 km in total.
• Interconnection capacity at the Belgian border: approximately 48 GWh/d.
• The equivalent of 1 GW of installed or imported electrolysis power could be developed.

According to an initial assessment, this project could contribute to averting 11.1 Mt CO₂eq/year in emissions.