FertigHy selects Northern France for first low-carbon fertilizer plant
FertigHy, a pan-European producer of low-carbon, nitrogen-based fertilizer for the agricultural sector, will build its first factory in the Hauts-de-France region in Northern France. The €1.3 billion Capex investment build is expected to be in operation by 2030 and will produce low-carbon fertilizers.
The production process will use renewable and low-carbon electricity to produce hydrogen, a substitute to imported natural gas. FertigHy will receive support from the French government to assist its kickstart operations in France. The announcement was made at the Choose France Summit, hosted by Emmanuel Macron, President of France.
Start in 2027
Construction of the factory will begin in 2027. Once complete in 2030, the plant will bring 250 direct jobs to the area and deliver 500,000 tons of low-carbon nitrogen-based fertiliser annually, which equates to around 10% of France’s agricultural sector’s consumption. A second FertigHy factory is planned to be built in Spain and shall become operational soon after the French one.
The agriculture sector alone is responsible for more than 10% of the European Union’s total greenhouse gas emissions, with European farmers using over 11 million tonnes of nitrogen fertilisers each year. The European Commission has identified the energy-intensive sector as key for decarbonisation, supporting the transition to low-carbon, affordable alternatives which are produced locally.
Backed by its founding investors EIT InnoEnergy, RIC Energy, MAIRE, Siemens Financial Services, InVivo, and Heineken, FertigHy plans to build, own and operate several large-scale fertiliser factories across Europe producing cost-competitive, low-carbon fertilisers for European farmers – starting in France.
