Dunkirk: towards a sustainable industrial energy transition

Dunkirk is positioning itself as a key player in France's industrial energy transition. With massive investments in electrical infrastructure, the region aims to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions while supporting the growth of local industries.

Share:

View of the port of Dunkirk

The energy transition is gathering pace in the industrial sector, and Dunkirk is positioning itself as a key player in this dynamic.
The region, which accounts for a significant proportion of France’s greenhouse gas emissions, is embarking on a vast electrical infrastructure project.
The project is designed to meet growing demand for electricity, fuelled by industry’s desire to move away from fossil fuels and adopt more sustainable solutions.
The challenges are multiple, ranging from the need to modernize infrastructures to the introduction of new renewable energy sources.
In the industrial port zone, traditional companies such as ArcelorMittal are looking to reduce their carbon footprint.
The steelmaker plans to invest heavily in transforming its production methods, aiming for CO2-free steel production by 2050.
To achieve this goal, it will need to increase its electrical capacity from 200 MW to potentially over 2,000 MW, thanks to green hydrogen.
This move comes at a time when new players, such as Verkor and Prologium, are also setting up in the region to develop gigafactories for batteries, thus strengthening the local industrial ecosystem.

Massive investments for a successful transition

RTE, the French electricity transmission system operator, is playing a central role in this transformation.
With a planned investment of 1.5 billion euros between now and 2030, RTE is committed to increasing the capacity of the Dunkirk network from 1,500 MW to 6,000 MW.
The project includes the creation of new transformer substations and the installation of high-voltage overhead lines.
Laurent Cantat-Lampin, Regional Director of RTE, emphasizes the importance of this infrastructure: “Dunkirk is a laboratory, where all the issues of energy transition are present.”
This development is crucial to support the ambitions of local industries and meet their growing electricity needs.
Construction work on the new infrastructure should start within two to three years.
One of the major challenges is to integrate these new lines into a landscape already saturated with power cables, while minimizing the impact on local residents.
Careful planning of these projects is essential to ensure a smooth transition to a low-carbon economy.

The challenges of energy competitiveness

Despite advances in electricity supply, competitive pricing remains a major concern for manufacturers.
Aluminium Dunkerque, for example, consumes the equivalent of the electricity needed to power a city of one and a half million inhabitants.
To reduce its emissions by 70% by 2050, the company needs to invest 3 billion euros and find an additional 300 MW.
However, the new tariff conditions proposed by EDF are causing concern.
Laurent Courtois, Energy and Climate Director at Aluminium Dunkerque, insists on the need for a “decarbonized and competitive” contract to ensure the company’s viability.
Local players recognize that access to abundant electricity is not enough.
Competitive pricing is just as crucial to attracting and maintaining investment in the region.
Companies must navigate in an environment where energy costs can directly influence their ability to innovate and grow.

A long-term vision for decarbonization

The transition to a low-carbon economy in Dunkirk involves much more than simply increasing electrical capacity.
It also involves strategic thinking about the energy sources used and the technologies deployed.
Projects for offshore wind farms and the new EPR2 nuclear reactor at Gravelines are key elements of this strategy.
These initiatives aim to diversify the energy mix and guarantee a stable, sustainable supply for industry.
The future outlook for Dunkirk is promising, but requires close collaboration between public and private players.
The success of this transition will depend on the ability of companies to adapt to the new realities of the energy market and to innovate in their production processes.
The region aspires to become a model of decarbonization, but this requires collective commitment and sustained investment to turn ambitions into reality.

Nearly USD92bn will be invested by major American and international groups in new data centres and energy infrastructure, responding to the surge in electricity demand linked to the rise of artificial intelligence.
Nouakchott has endured lengthy power interruptions for several weeks, highlighting the financial and technical limits of the Mauritanian Electricity Company as Mauritania aims to widen access and green its mix by 2030.
Between 2015 and 2024, four multilateral climate funds committed nearly eight bn USD to clean energy, attracting private capital through concessional terms while Africa and Asia absorbed more than half of the volume.
The Global Energy Policies Hub shows that strategic reserves, gas obligations, cybersecurity and critical-mineral policies are expanding rapidly, lifting oil coverage to 98 % of world imports.
According to a report by Ember, the Chinese government’s appliance trade-in campaign could double residential air-conditioner efficiency gains in 2025 and trim up to USD943mn from household electricity spending this year.
Washington is examining sectoral taxes on polysilicon and drones, two supply chains dominated by China, after triggering Section 232 to measure industrial dependency risks.
The 2025-2034 development plan presented by Terna includes strengthening Sicily’s grid, new interconnections, and major projects to support the region’s growing renewable energy capacity.
Terna and NPC Ukrenergo have concluded a three-year partnership in Rome aimed at strengthening the integration of the Ukrainian grid into the pan-European system, with an in-depth exchange of technological and regulatory expertise.
GE Vernova has secured a major contract to modernise the Kühmoos substation in Germany, enhancing grid reliability and integration capacity for power flows between Germany, France and Switzerland.
The National Energy System Operator forecasts electricity demand to rise to 785 TWh by 2050, underlining the need to modernise grids and integrate more clean energy to support the UK’s energy transition.
Terna has signed a guarantee agreement with SACE and the European Investment Bank to finance the Adriatic Link project, totalling approximately €1bn ($1.08bn) and validated as a major transaction under Italian regulations.
India unveils a series of reforms on oil and gas contracts, introducing a fiscal stability clause to enhance the sector’s attractiveness for foreign companies and boost its growth ambitions in upstream energy.
The European Commission is launching a special fund of EUR2.3bn ($2.5bn) to boost Ukraine’s reconstruction and attract private capital to the energy and infrastructure sectors.
Asia dominated global new renewable energy capacity in 2024 with 71% of installations, while Africa recorded limited growth of only 7.2%, according to the latest annual report from IRENA.
US President Donald Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill Act dramatically changes energy investment rules, imposing restrictions on renewables while favouring hydrocarbons, according to a recent report by consultancy firm Wood Mackenzie.
On July 8, 2025, the Senate validated the Gremillet bill, aimed at structuring France's energy transition with clear objectives for nuclear power, renewable energies, and energy renovation.
Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Colombia, Chile, and Peru significantly increase renewable electricity production, reaching nearly 70% of the regional electricity mix, according to a recent Wood Mackenzie study on Latin America's energy sector.
The Canadian government announces an investment of more than $40mn to fund 13 energy projects led by Indigenous communities across the country, aiming to improve energy efficiency and increase local renewable energy use.
The German Ministry of Economy plans to significantly expand aid aimed at reducing industrial electricity costs, increasing eligible companies from 350 to 2,200, at an estimated cost of €4bn ($4.7bn).
A major electricity blackout paralyzed large parts of the Czech Republic, interrupting transport and essential networks, raising immediate economic concerns, and highlighting the vulnerability of energy infrastructures to unforeseen technical incidents.