The Jura will host a hydrogen production facility using wood waste. Unveiled in June 2021, its promoters confirm that they have obtained the green light for this new technology. Two watch companies have already decided to set up nearby to benefit from it.
Called H2 Bois, the planned project in Glovelier received no opposition as the deadline ended on Tuesday. A new ecosystem will therefore emerge in the canton of Jura. For one of the promoters, Gauthier Corbat, deputy director of the Corbat group, this is good news, especially since several players in the watch industry are already ready to supply themselves with locally produced green hydrogen.
“It’s important for the main player who can join us in this area,” explains Gauthier Corbat. “It’s still confidential, but it has great needs. The watchmaking subcontractors use our technology mainly on their annealing furnaces. (…) Depending on the volumes, all these watchmaking subcontractors use between two and eight tonnes of hydrogen per year. Their ecobalance is therefore increased, because gray hydrogen (hydrogen produced from hydrocarbons) is still polluting”, concludes the deputy director.
Operational in spring 2024
The project, worth 12 million francs for its first phase, should be operational in the spring of 2024. Apart from the two companies that form the share capital today, other financial partners are interested. One of the objectives is also to be able to offer the Jura its first hydrogen service station.
Radio subject: Gael Klein
Adaptation web: Julien Furrer