Participating Countries - France

France is strongly committed to decarbonizing its industry, which is seen as a key lever to achieve its climate goals. In this context, the government launched the France 2030 program in 2021, a €54 billion investment plan aimed at supporting innovation and the energy transition, with a strong focus on electrifying industrial processes. This strategy aligns with France’s overarching objective: achieving carbon neutrality by 2050, in accordance with its commitments under the Paris Agreement (2015).
To structure this ambition, France relies on a national roadmap known as the Stratégie Nationale Bas-Carbone (SNBC), or National Low-Carbon Strategy. The SNBC defines emissions reduction pathways across all sectors and is revised every five years. It provides a framework for public policy and sets emissions ceilings compatible with the goal of climate neutrality.
In its third version (SNBC 3), currently in the process of completion by the end of 2025, the strategy significantly raises the bar. It states that, in order to stay on track, electricity consumption in industry must rise from 108 TWh in 2022 to 151 TWh by 2030. This scaling-up of industrial electrification is based on replacing fossil fuels with clean technologies such as industrial heat pumps, electric furnaces, and low-carbon hydrogen.
The EDF Group is one of the world’s leading utility and energy services companies and has a particularly strong presence within the European Union. Through its various subsidiaries, EDF operates across the full electricity value chain, from generation and transmission to distribution, trading, and retail, as well as energy services.
The EDF group is present in 22 countries, where it supplies 40 million customers. More than 190 000 employees contribute to the activity (520TWh in 2024).
The participant in the project is EDF Research and Development (EDF R&D) division. EDF R&D employs 1830 people (1/3 women) mainly located in Europe. A growing share of EDF R&D’s research activities is led through partnerships with industrials and academic entities worldwide. EDF R&D aims at identifying solutions to help industry in decarbonizing and reducing energy consumption. EDF R&D has been working on energy recovery solutions for more than one decade especially on High and very High temperature heat pumps developments with subsidiary like Dalkia or with industrial, manufacturers and academical partners.
EDF is deeply aligned with France’s decarbonization goals, particularly through its efforts to support the electrification of industrial processes as a key pathway toward national carbon neutrality.
The French industry has therefore a strong interest in high-temperature heat pump systems.

Relevant ongoing or finalized R&D projects of the national team partners:

• Participation in the IEA HPT Annex 58 about High-Temperature Heat Pumps, 2021 – 2023,
• Participation in the IEA HPT Annex 48 about Industrial Heat Pumps, 2016 – 2019, Project
• Participation in the IEA IETS Annex 35 about Industrial Heat Pump Applications, 2010 – 2014,
• Participation in the BAMBOO European project to test a steam generating heat pump with a
  flash tank, 2021-2023, Project partners : AIT, AMIII
• Participation in a French energy agency project (TRANSPAC) to develop a transcritical heat
  pump for industrial dryers, 2017-2023, Project partners : DALKIA, Armines, a paper company
• Participation in a French collaborative project to develop and test a water working heat pump
  up to 130°C, 2011-2015, project partners : SRM, JCI, France Evaporation
• Participation in a French collaborative project to develop and test a heat pump up to 140°C,
  2008-2011, project partners : DANFOSS, CIAT, Arkema, Clauger, Rhodia