On Wednesday 18 December, the European Commission authorised a French scheme worth up to €3 billion over 15 years to support companies subject to the EU’s ‘ETS’ CO2 emissions trading scheme in their efforts to decarbonise their production processes, notably through electrification or carbon storage.
Operating in sectors such as chemicals, metallurgy, construction and agri-food, the beneficiary companies will have to present projects aimed at reducing the carbon footprint of their industrial sites below values set by the ‘ETS’ system. These projects will be selected following a public procurement procedure and will be ranked based on the lowest amount of aid requested per tonne of CO2 emissions avoided. The most efficient projects will benefit from a bonus in the ranking, similar to highly innovative projects selected under the 'European Innovation Fund'.
Each year, beneficiaries will receive an amount calculated on the basis of actual emissions avoided.
The scheme aims to save more than 60 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent over 15 years. (Original version in French by Mathieu Bion)