Hauts-de-France: A region focused on an energy revolution
Enlit Editorial Team
Posted on: 11 September 2023
In an exclusive interview with Enlit on the Road, Frédéric Motte, explains what makes Hauts-de-France the region of the energy mix.
In an exclusive interview with Enlit on the Road, Frédéric Motte - a Regional Councillor of Hauts-de-France and Chairman of their Mission REV3 – explains the region's future-oriented policies.
A unique mix of nuclear power, leading wind energy generation and methanation, as well as some of the biggest hydrogen power projects in the pipeline, states Motte, have positioned the region as “the region of the energy mix” in France.
Key to enabling this, he adds, has been early policymaking.
Third Industrial Revolution
It all started 10 years ago, when the region decided to embark on a transformation. The Third Industrial Revolution in Hauts-de-France is a joint initiative to move towards ecological and social transition in the region, with the energy transition a central pillar.
Two years ago, this ‘REV3’ revolution was voted in as the “thread through all our policies”, guiding the conduct of the region’s decision-making.
More from Enlit on the Road:
Site visit: France’s first EV battery gigafactory
Project RIR – a rural microgrid demonstrator in Hauts-de-France
Why Esbjerg is Denmark’s energy transition metropolis
Key sectors to drive transformation
In moving towards a net-zero minded transformation, Motte explained how key sectors are on the priority list:
“The first is to produce decarbonised energy. The second is decarbonising industry, because in this region, we like companies and industry, but they have to reorganise themselves to decarbonise their production," he said.
The third, he states is that of mobility. Although already France's leading automobile region, it is their aim to stay ahead in the race, an ambition supported by having four major EV battery companies already settled in.
The fourth, “the agri and agro industry. Because we are lucky - we have good lands, good weather, big companies, a good university - we want to work around animals or other proteins, things like that.”
And finally, “circular economy. We are sure that, in a circular economy we can (…) develop more business and more sustainable business.”
Make sure to tune into the rest of the interview for more on the REV3 revolution as well as Motte’s optimistic views on the region meeting its net-zero targets.
