July 29, 2026 [Storage Termnals Magazine]- Hy2gen’s H4 Marseille Fos project has signed a strategic partnership agreement with the Rhône Décarbonation project, securing 50 percent of the biogenic carbon dioxide (CO₂) required for its planned e-sustainable aviation fuel (e-SAF) production facility.

The agreement is regarded as a significant milestone for France’s carbon capture and utilisation (CCU) sector, establishing what the partners describe as the country’s first structured CCU value chain.

Under the agreement, the Rhône Décarbonation project, developed by Vicat, SPSE and Elengy, will capture biogenic CO₂ from Vicat’s cement plant at Montalieu-Vercieu in eastern France. Using established carbon capture technology, up to 1.2 million tonnes of CO₂ per year will be captured and transported via SPSE’s pipeline infrastructure to the H4 Marseille Fos facility.

The secured CO₂ will supply half of the feedstock required for the production of methanol, which will subsequently be converted into sustainable aviation fuel using Methanol-to-Jet technology. Production at the H4 Marseille Fos plant is targeted to begin in 2032.

Once operational, the facility is expected to produce approximately 75,000 tonnes of e-SAF annually. According to Hy2gen, the fuel could reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 84 percent compared with conventional fossil-based jet fuel, preventing an estimated 240,000 tonnes of CO₂-equivalent emissions each year.

The project is intended to support the European Union’s ReFuelEU Aviation initiative, which aims to increase the use of sustainable aviation fuels across the aviation sector. Securing a long-term supply of sustainable, biogenic CO₂ is an important step towards the project’s planned final investment decision, currently targeted for 2028.

Beyond supporting decarbonisation, the partners say the project will strengthen regional industrial development by creating a locally integrated value chain for renewable fuels in southern France. The initiative is also expected to improve Europe’s energy resilience by reducing reliance on imported fossil fuels and supporting the production of renewable fuels using locally sourced renewable electricity, water and biogenic carbon dioxide.

The H4 Marseille Fos facility has also been designed to process imported e-methanol delivered by sea, enabling the site to serve as a future European import and conversion hub for sustainable aviation fuel produced from renewable feedstocks.

The agreement highlights the growing role of carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS) infrastructure in supporting the development of low-carbon fuels and advancing Europe’s transition to more sustainable aviation.