Qair develops e-methanol project on Haropa port

Renewable energy company Qair announced that it has been awarded a parcel on Haropa Port site, in Le Havre, France, to develop its e-methanol production project Methavert.

Developed by Qair, Methavert aims to establish a renewable hydrogen and methanol production within the industrial port area of Le Havre. The area is the first Northern European deep-water entry point for imports and the final port for exports. 

The facility will initially produce 200,000 tonnes of e-methanol to support the decarbonization of maritime transport and other high-emission and hard-to-abate industries.

Furthermore, the project will benefit from existing methanol storage facilities and align with the ongoing decarbonization efforts of nearby industrial sites and port infrastructure.

The 60-hectare site is located in Rogerville, in the immediate vicinity of the Grand Canal du Havre and the A29 motorway. It is one of five Haropa Port parcels designated as ‘France 2030 industrial sites’ in May 2024 and benefiting from government support for the implementation of industrial projects.

Qair and Haropa Port plan to work together to set up a renewable methanol value transforming the industrial port area and positioning the Port of Le Havre as a hub on the Green Corridors of maritime transport.

Moreover, the merger of the ports of Le Havre, Rouen and Paris, Haropa Port supports an initiative to develop land for industrial and logistics projects strategically connected to essential utilities like transport and energy networks.

In line with the zero net artificialisation (ZAN) objective, Haropa Port is implementing a land densification strategy that reuses previously developed essentially ‘rebuilding the port on the port’.

This approach aligns with Haropa Port’s 2020-2025 strategic objective to position the Seine axis industrial port areas central hubs for France’s industrial revitalization development.