Stellantis inaugurates geothermal plant at Caen, France manufacturing facility
The Caen site of Stellantis (souce: Stellantis)
Carlo Cariaga
6 Jan 2025
Automotive manufacturer Stellantis is producing 30% of the energy requirement of their Caen, France site with a newly inaugurated geothermal facility.
Automotive manufacturing company Stellantis has inaugurated a geothermal facility that will provide heating and cooling to its industrial site in Caen, France. The installation will allow the site to produce 30% of its energy requirement autonomously, supplying heat to its buildings and cooling for the industrial processes.
The project took 10 months of work and involved the installation of 3 kilometers of pipes, 12 air handling units, and 3 heat pumps. Aside from reducing CO2 emissions by 75%, the Caen site is now also benefitting from a 70% reduction in gas consumption and 15% reduction in water consumption. The project has benefited from the support of the French Environment and Energy Management Agency (ADEME) and European funds, and could benefit from the France 2030 aid.
The project is a world-first for Stellantis. The Caen site is also one of the first industrial facilities to adopt this type of technology in France. The project is fully in line with the environmental roadmap of the automotive company, with a target of achieving carbon neutrality by 2028.
The Caen site plans to further expand the capacity of the geothermal installation with additional drilling.
This installation is essential for reducing the site’s CO2 emissions. It also constitutes a performance lever for our installations in Normandy. Thanks to it, we can reduce our energy expenditure and reduce our dependence on market fluctuations,” said Stephane Lozach, Director of the Caen site.
Stellantis is also exploring the use of geothermal energy at their industrial facilities in Mulhouse, eastern France and in Rüsselsheim, Germany. These projects are being undertaken in partnership with geothermal and lithium extraction company Vulcan Energy Resources. Moreover, Stellantis has invested into Vulcan Energy Resources and Controlled Thermal Resources, two companies that are developing technologies and projects for the direct extraction of lithium from geothermal brine.
Source: Stellantis
