Alchymiste: an energy revolution for island territories, winner of the i-Nov competition

Corsica Sole is proud to announce that our Alchymiste project has been selected as the winner of the i-Nov 2023 competition, organised by Bpifrance and supported by the French government as part of France 2030. This prestigious competition honours innovative projects that are shaping the future of energy, and Alchymiste stands out for its ability to transform the way island and isolated territories approach their energy independence.

The challenge: a complex energy transition for islands and isolated territories

Island and isolated territories, such as Corsica, face a major challenge in their quest for energy independence. Due to the intermittent nature of renewable energies, it is difficult for these regions to integrate these sources into their electricity grids on a large scale without risking major imbalances. Currently, thermal power plants play a fundamental role in stabilising the grid, but their operation relies on imported fossil fuels, accentuating energy dependence on the outside world.

Alchymiste: hydrogen as a local and renewable solution

This is where Alchymiste comes in, an ambitious project that aims to replace fossil fuels with green hydrogen produced locally from the sun, wind and water. This technology will enable existing thermal power stations to be converted to run on hydrogen, eliminating the need to import fuel and significantly reducing CO₂ emissions.

Alchymiste will run for four years, with an experimental site in Corsica. The project will test two crucial elements:

• The valorisation of excess electricity production from renewable assets through electrolysis (production of hydrogen from electrical energy),
• The conversion of existing thermal power plants to hydrogen, maintaining grid stability, with the potential for larger-scale deployment in other island territories.

A key step for the islands’ energy future

By winning the i-Nov competition, Corsica Sole has taken a decisive step forward in its commitment to a sustainable and local energy transition. Alchymiste represents a significant step towards the decarbonisation of island territories and their energy independence.

We would like to warmly thank the Government, ADEME and Bpifrance for their unwavering support through the France 2030 programme. Together, we are taking another step towards a cleaner and more autonomous energy future.