ENGIE SOLUTIONS DHC NETWORKS

The project will finance the rehabilitation of the district heating and cooling networks in various cities in France, including the optimisation of heat/cooling generation facilities to be implemented over the period 2020-2024.

The project will include biomass incinerators, geothermal plants and the refurbishment of heat distribution pipes as well as the extension of pipeline networks to new customers and new areas/cities. The sub-projects are located in various cities of France and consist of optimization/extension of mainly heating networks connected to biomass cogeneration or geothermal plants.

The district heating/cooling networks provide reliable, convenient and efficient heating/cooling to consumers and keep air pollution emissions related to the production of heat out of living areas. They are also well adapted to utilizing low cost heat from co-generation plants at present and waste-to-energy facilities as well as renewable energy from biomass and geothermal resources in the future. Due to its technical characteristics, the project falls under Annex II of the Environemental Impact Assessment (EIA) Directive 2014/52/EC amending Directive 2011/92/EC on the assessment of the effects of certain public and private projects on the environment, leaving it to the national competent authority to determine whether an EIA is required using the criteria defined in Annex III of the Directive. The compliance with relevant EU Directives (including Habitats Directive) will be assessed during the EIB due diligence process.

The promoter has to ensure that contracts for the implementation of the project have been tendered in accordance with the relevant applicable EU procurement legislation Directives 2014/23/EU, 2014/24/EU and 2014/25/EU, where applicable, as well as Directives 89/665/EEC and 92/13/EEC) as interpreted by the EU Court of Justice, with publication of tender notices in the EU Official Journal, as and where required.