Corsica Sole announces the installation of the first renewable hydrogen production unit in Corsica
Press releases
On the eve of the hydrogen sector’s must-attend event – Hyvolution 2024 – which will take place from 30 January to 1 February 2024, Corsica Sole, an independent solar energy producer and one of Europe’s leading energy storage companies, today announced the construction of a renewable hydrogen production unit in Folelli, Corsica. The production, which will make use of surplus solar energy, is expected to generate 2 tonnes of hydrogen per year.
Folell’Hy: an innovative project to optimise renewable resources on island territories
The first renewable hydrogen production and packaging unit in Corsica, called ‘Folell’Hy’, will be launched in the first quarter of 2025. As a pioneer in energy storage in island regions and in Europe, Corsica Sole wants to make surplus renewable energy, which is currently lost and unused, available to the region in the form of hydrogen.
Like Corsica, island areas with high renewable energy production capacities are often faced with situations where the available renewable electricity cannot be exploited and is inevitably lost. These situations arise in particular when the stability constraints of the electricity grid impose limitations on renewable energy production plants. Since it came into service in 2017, the solar power plant in Folelli, one of the two largest plants on the island, has been subject to energy production limitations amounting to several hundred hours per year.
The Folell’Hy project will convert surplus solar energy into renewable hydrogen using a 30 Nm3/h electrolyser, store it and make it available to users after conditioning it in transportable tanks at 200, 300 or 500 bar.
The entire system will be directly connected to the existing Folelli solar power plant (12 MWp) and will have a storage capacity of approximately 100 kg of hydrogen.
A pioneering project for the Corsican hydrogen sector
Two tonnes of hydrogen will be produced annually, available to early adopters in Bastia and the surrounding area, starting with heavy maritime transport and temporary energy uses such as hydrogen generators.
This project will also create jobs in the region, with direct jobs at Corsica Sole (site manager, additional operations and maintenance staff, etc.) as well as indirect jobs with a new industrial activity that will boost the local economy.
Corsica Sole has chosen to make Folell’Hy a pioneering project, on a scale adapted to the emerging hydrogen ecosystem in Bastia, in order to encourage the emergence of new uses and gather feedback from all stakeholders with a view to deploying future projects with greater capacity.
An innovative pilot project that heralds one of the solutions for achieving energy independence in Corsica
A true pillar of the decarbonisation of energy systems, hydrogen is a major asset offering the possibility, once produced, of being stored, transported and used. As such, it is the cornerstone of autonomous energy systems, enabling regions to take full advantage of their renewable energy resources.
This pilot project will also serve as a test site to address uncertainties related to the specificities of this application:
Direct, real-time interactions with the network operator to control the production unit according to network operating conditions.
Use of water resources, from supply to discharge management, in regions where water is often a critical resource with competing uses.
Commissioning is scheduled for early 2025
The investment decision milestone has already been reached, and planning permission and financing have been obtained. Corsica Sole is currently in exclusive negotiations with Hensodlt Nexeya France as a designer and integrator of energy systems with experience in hydrogen applications.
Preparation of the Folelli site will begin in spring 2024 and is expected to welcome the installations in the second half of 2024. Testing phases are then planned for commissioning in the first quarter of 2025.
This Folell’Hy facility represents a very advantageous opportunity for Corsica, which aims to be energy self-sufficient by 2050. Renewable hydrogen could promote the region’s energy transition and be an alternative to fossil fuels imported into Corsica. We are very pleased to be involved in the installation of the first production unit capable of conditioning and exploiting renewable hydrogen
For Hensoldt Nexeya France, it is very important to participate in projects aimed at promoting the decarbonisation of our country while contributing to the revitalisation of the local economy. We are delighted that Corsica Sole is considering bringing us on board for this project, which will benefit the Corsican region and allow us to leverage our expertise based on many years of research and development in energy production and storage.
