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France authorizes the search for natural hydrogen reserves for the first time

The French government has authorized, for the first time in France, a research project on so-called “white” hydrogen, a fuel naturally present in the subsoil and of growing interest in decarbonizing industry and transport.

Announced in the Official newspaperSunday, December 3, this “exclusive research permit on native hydrogen mines, helium and related substances known as “Save Earth H2”” will concern an area of ​​approximately 225 square kilometers located in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques, specifies the decree of November 23 signed by the Minister of Energy Transition, Agnès Pannier-Runacher, and by the Minister Delegate in charge of industry, Roland Lescure .

It was granted to the company TBH2 Aquitaine for a period of five years, thus becoming the first research project on natural hydrogen to be authorized among six files submitted in France, announced the Ministry of Energy Transition. The ministry also clarified that the other five are “at instruction”.

“TBH2 Aquitaine will remain the first company in France to have obtained an exclusive research permit on native hydrogen”welcomed Vincent Bordmann, the founder of the company, evoking a ” big day ” . According to him, the granting of this permit makes it possible to begin exploration work, in particular studies, particularly seismic ones. Drilling will only take place in two or three years, after new authorizations.

Another application filed in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques

In the Pyrénées-Atlantiques, another permit application was submitted in March jointly by the companies 45-8 ENERGY and Storengy, for an area of ​​266 square kilometers, adjoining the Sauve Terre H2 project over 10 kilometers.

Hydrogen is highly coveted for the decarbonization potential it offers to industries and mobility, provided that it is itself produced from green or decarbonized electricity.

Present naturally everywhere on the planet, white hydrogen arouses growing appetites, because it has the advantage of not emitting carbon dioxide, one of the greenhouse gases responsible for climate change, unlike that produced by from fossil fuels called “gray” hydrogen.

So far, 95% of hydrogen produced worldwide is gray hydrogen, manufactured by chemical or petrochemical manufacturers by “reforming” gas, a process that nevertheless emits a lot of greenhouse gases. Other forms of hydrogen exist: “blue”, “green” and “yellow”, depending on whether they use gas with carbon capture, green electricity (wind, solar, hydroelectric) by electrolysis of water or that it is produced from nuclear electricity. .

Read also: Article reserved for our subscribers Is hydrogen the miracle solution for the energy transition?

Le Monde with AFP

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Are you dreaming of a creative and refined retirement? A new residency for artists and writers has just landed in the south of France


World of Arts

This unique modernist building overlooks the hills and coast of Mougins.

  • Jo Lawson-Tancred

  • 4 hours ago

Unit London, a contemporary art gallery, has announced the launch of a new artist residency based in a unique house designed by French architect Jacques Couëlle near Mougins in the south of France in 1964. Known as Named Dragon Hill, the residency will welcome the two artists. and writers, and is organized in partnership with ArtReview. The first cohort will move into Dragon Hill in March 2024.

The program, which lasts six weeks, provides artists with fully equipped studios and the opportunity to exhibit their new works in an annual summer exhibition at the nearby historic Chateau de Castellaras. The artists will also be joined each year by six arts writers, chosen by ArtReview’s editorial team, who will also benefit from mentoring and the chance to be published on the magazine’s website.

Jacques Couëlle circa 1978. Photo: Slim Aarons via Getty Images.

The house offers impressive views of the hills of the Alpes-Maritimes and is close to the bay of Antibes and the charming old town of Mouans. It was the first of five “landscape houses” built by Couëlle in the region in the 1960s and illustrates his interest in organic architecture, strongly influenced by the Catalan architect Antoni Gaudí. It is notable for its curved design, which breaks from the more angular modernist styles of the time and better complements the stunning natural landscapes.

The Mougins district was a favorite location for many major modernist artists, including Pablo Picasso, Jean Cocteau, Yves Klein, as well as the famous art dealer Leo Castelli. Today, it is close to several artistic institutions, including the Maeght Foundation, L’Espace de l’Art Concret and the Musée d’Art Classique de Mougins (MACM) which will soon reopen under the name of Femmes Artistes du Musée of Mougins (FAMM).

“ During our 10 years of working closely with modern artists, it has been difficult to ignore the ever-increasing conflict between artists’ natural need for freedom – to think, create and experiment – ​​and the acute pressures and demands of the art market. ‘contemporary art. said Unit co-founder Joe Kennedy. “Dragon Hill is a sanctuary, a truly magical site where artists can temporarily escape the art world and draw inspiration from the free spirit of an eccentric and important creative mind. Couëlle was inspired by his close and collaborative friendships with other artists and writers like Dali, Picasso and Prévert.

Check out more images of Couëlle Dragon Hill below.

Dragon Hill, Castellaras Le Neuf by French architect Jacques Couëlle in the south of France. Image courtesy of Unit Gallery.

Dragon Hill, Castellaras Le Neuf by French architect Jacques Couëlle in the south of France. Image courtesy of Unit Gallery.

Dragon Hill, Castellaras Le Neuf by French architect Jacques Couëlle in the south of France. Image courtesy of Unit Gallery.

Bedroom at Dragon Hill, Castellaras Le Neuf by French architect Jacques Couëlle in the south of France. Image courtesy of Unit Gallery.

Dragon Hill, Castellaras Le Neuf by French architect Jacques Couëlle in the south of France. Image courtesy of Unit Gallery.

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Online advertising: million-dollar fine against Google in France


The French competition authority accuses Google of abusing its dominant position in the ad server market. The group now has to pay a fine of 220 million euros for this; Google itself has also offered changes.

In France, Google pays a fine of 220 million euros imposed by the antitrust office for giving preference to its own services when allocating online advertising space. The US company did not deny the allegations and the fine was now ordered as part of a settlement, the French competition authority in Paris said.

The cartel office had been contacted by several publishing groups, including the international media entrepreneur Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp and the French Figaro publishing house. They accused Google of abusing its dominant market position.

Google’s advertising sales business accounted for 13 percent of parent company Alphabet’s sales of almost $183 billion (€150 billion) last year.

DoubleClick and Google Ad Exchange

In this specific case, the question is whether the search engine giant has unlawfully exploited its dominance in the digital advertising business. Since taking over the advertising specialist DoubleClick in 2009, Google has operated a platform for advertising (“DoubleClick for Publisher”), which is now operated under the Google brand. This platform is used by many large online publishers and publishers to offer advertising space for sale. The complaint was that Google customers were given an advantage in the actual allocation of advertising space at the advertising auction house Google Ad Exchange (AdX). Google customers were partly provided with information about competing bids.

“The Authority has found that Google has granted preferential treatment to its own technologies offered under the Google Ad Manager brand(…),” the competition authority said. These practices are “particularly serious” because those disadvantaged include publishers whose economic model has already been seriously weakened by the decline in sales of newspaper subscriptions.

Google changes model

In the settlement, Google also agreed to change its behavior and make it easier for competitors to use its online advertising tools. The changes were accepted by the authority. “We will test and develop these changes over the coming months before rolling them out more broadly, including globally,” Google said.

The French competition authority recalled that companies with a position like Google have a special responsibility. “These very serious practices disadvantaged competition in the emerging online advertising market and allowed Google to not only maintain but also expand its dominant position,” said Isabelle de Silva, chairwoman of the French competition authority, according to the statement.

“We believe we provide valuable services and compete. However, we are committed to proactively working with regulators to make improvements to our products,” the US group said. They have been working with the French authorities for the past two years and now want to improve access to data or increase the flexibility of Google Ad Manager.

It is still unclear whether and how the comparison will affect other markets, as complaints against the dominance of the DoubleClick platform had also surfaced outside France. Experts now expect that these obligations from the settlement will develop into a template that publishers in many other countries can also demand.