Renault is planning to the geothermal energy to heat up the old production plant

Renault is working with French company Engie to develop a geothermal energy project at Renault’s plant in Douai. Renault stated that a subsidiary of Engie will start drilling in Douai later in 2023. 

The plan is focused on extracting hot water from a depth of 4,000 metres. This water will be used to cover industrial and thermal process needs at the Douai site from 2025. The water temperature will be between 130 and 140°C. Once implemented, this geothermal technology will provide almost 40 MW of continuous power. In the summer, when not as much heat is needed, geothermal energy could produce carbon-free electricity. 

According to the International Energy Agency, the energy from deep water refers to energy available as heat contained in or released from the earth’s crust that can be used to generate electricity and directly obtain heat. The US Department of Energy, on the other hand, claims that geothermal energy provides renewable energy 24 hours a day and emits small amounts or no greenhouse gases. 

Renault has set itself the goal of carbon neutrality by 2040 in Europe and by 2050 worldwide. Despite those goals, a top company official informed CNBC that the internal combustion engine will likely continue to play a key role in their business for years to come. Another official says that there is no scenario where internal combustion and hybrid engines represent less than 40% of the market in the 2040 horizon, and it is a market that will continue to grow. 

Renault’s interest in internal combustion engines comes when some major economies are trying to move away from vehicles powered by fossil fuels. For example, Great Britain wants to stop the sale of new fossil fuel powered cars and vans by 2030. All new cars and vans to have zero tailpipe emissions will be required from 2035. The EU pursues similar goals. And California, for example, bans the sale of new gasoline-powered vehicles from 2035.