Moûtiers to drive down the Alps carbon footprint!
Government ambitions are in favor of green hydrogen! Indeed, the president of the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region Laurent Wauquiez recently presented the Mountain Plan II. This plan aims for the Alps to become the first sustainable mountain in Europe. The region is also the cradle for the national excellence for hydrogen with 80% of the players in the sector. He recently declared: “Tomorrow, our mountains will be real showcases of the economic dynamism of our region and of the innovation of our entrepreneurs. The mountain of tomorrow is also the one our children are discovering, it is the one our children know […] We protect our mountains, which are dynamic, lively and respectful of the environment. ” President Emmanuel Macron has put in place a “France 2030” plan in favor of green hydrogen to revitalize the economic and industrial network of the sector. The political goal is clear: strengthen French skills in green hydrogen and develop hydrogen industry flagships companies. This is why the budget forecasts have been revised upwards with an additional € 2bn added to the initial plan of € 7bn.
Government actions, through ecological transition agencies such as ADEME and regional projects such as Zero Emission Valley, is leading more and more cities to shift towards green mobility. The Zero Emission Valley project aims at developing clean hydrogen mobility project across the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes territory to meet the ambition of a sustainable and carbon-free region. Since then, many regions have followed suit in order to mesh the national territory.
It is within the framework of Zero Emission Valley that the town of Moûtiers decided to set up a hydrogen station and lower the valley’s carbon footprint. It therefore becomes the third city in the project to install one and adds up to Chambéry and Clermont-Ferrand, which also have an Atawey station. Moûtiers has chosen hydrogen technology for its fleet of professional vehicles. The hydrogen station will soon supply buses, garbage trucks, utility vehicles and even snow groomers. The installation of this hydrogen station is a step forward in the networking of the regional territory, in a valley where the road mobility of individuals and professionals have a strong impact on the environment. The tourist seasonality has a great impact on the territory and has therefore a strong strategic weight. The hydrogen station will eventually have a capacity to supply 200 kg per day, five times more than the first station located in Chambéry. The symbolic cornerstone was laid last October in the company of Jean-Michel Amaré, CEO of Atawey and Fabrice Pannekoucke, mayor of Moûtiers. The mayor of the Tarentaise capital said he was very proud to be able to benefit from this hydrogen charging station where air quality is essential.
Hydrogen needs are increasing. Facing the growing importance of this demand, Atawey has increased its workforce; in 2021, the number of its employees rose from 25 to 40. Ambitions are strong on the side of the French start-up, which is doing everything it can to meet growing market demand. As a consequence, hiring forecasts are significant, with the goal of reaching 150 people by 2025.
