A law to ensure the conversion of the Saint-Avold thermal power station site

The Lorraine power plant is "one of the last two coal-fired power plants" in France, along with that of Cordemais (Loire-Atlantique), "which were due to close in France by the end of 2027 and the President (of the Republic Emmanuel Macron) had made a commitment to transform it into a biomass power plant by the end of 2023", recalled the Minister of Economy and Finance Eric Lombard during a speech in the Senate, questioned on the subject by the LR senator for Moselle, Catherine Belrhiti.

"The commitment made by the president (...) will be kept because other developments have been planned so that we can use natural gas or biogas," added the minister, while recalling however that "the texts do not allow this transformation to be carried out under existing law" and that "an amendment which was proposed within the framework of the draft finance law was rejected."

"Despite this, a cross-party bill (...) is being put forward by this assembly and (...) I can assure you that (...) we will find a time for (it) to be debated and adopted" so "that this beautiful Saint-Avold power station may live", declared Mr Lombard.

"Ingredients combined"

The text will be examined on March 25, according to the agenda communicated Wednesday by the Senate.

"We needed a legislative text for the conversion of this coal-fired power station," said Bercy, stressing that "all the ingredients were there for a transpartisan (bill)."

In a press release, GazelEnergie, the owner of the site, sees this text as "an important step in the post-coal industrial reconversion project" of the site.

"Coordinated by all the senators of Moselle, with the support of all the local elected representatives of Moselle, this transpartisan parliamentary initiative will make it possible to lay the legislative foundations allowing the power plant (...) to continue its activity and ensure the security of the electricity supply of the Grand-Est region while significantly reducing its carbon footprint", GazelEnergie is pleased to say.

The conversion, which represents an investment "of several tens of millions of euros on the part" of the energy company, "will allow jobs to be maintained on the plant site", the company added.

Emile-Huchet employs 150 people, for 500 direct and indirect jobs, according to the CFDT.

A major emitter of CO2, it was already due to close its doors in March 2022, but between the war in Ukraine and the setbacks of the nuclear fleet, it has returned to service and is playing a role in securing supplies in winter.

In September 2023, Emmanuel Macron announced his conversion, as well as that of Cordemais, to greener energy by 2027. But stalled discussions and successive changes of government had apparently relegated the future of the power plants to the background.

LFI MP for Loire-Atlantique, Matthias Tavel, for his part questioned Mr Lombard on X regarding the future of the site near Nantes: "Does your commitment also apply to the EDF power station (100% owned by the State) in Cordemais, the closure of which has been announced?"

"Consideration"

Mr Lombard's announcement was greeted with relief in Moselle, where concern was growing among the plant's employees, whose employment contracts were due to end in April.

"GazelEnergie has agreed to extend employees' employment contracts until August 31, 2025, giving time for this progress to be put into practice," the company said in its press release.

"Finally a little consideration for employees," Thomas About, CFDT delegate, the majority union at GazelEnergie, told AFP in response to Mr. Lombard's comments.

"We are not claiming victory" however, he tempered, inviting the minister "to continue on this path and to visit us on the site".

"This announcement is good news for saving hundreds of jobs in Moselle-Est, for ensuring our energy sovereignty and for decarbonizing our electricity production by switching from coal to gas," rejoiced Alexandre Loubet, National Rally (RN) MP for Moselle and vice-president of the party, on X.