Project progress
Like many major industrial initiatives, the development of the EMME project follows a structured, milestone-based approach, with each stage assessed against predefined criteria. Specifically, the project is developed through three key phases known as FEL (Front-End Loading): FEL1: Project identification and framing, FEL2: Feasibility studies, and FEL3: Detailed project definition. Once FEL3 is completed and approved, the project moves into the execution phase (construction, commissioning, ramp-up) followed by full operation.
At the start of 2025, the project successfully advanced to FEL3, marking a major milestone in the detailed definition of the project.
In parallel with FEL3, our teams based in Bordeaux, alongside our partners, prepared the Environmental Authorization Application. This regulatory document is mandatory for all production installations in France. The document includes several components, such as a technical and administrative description of the project, environmental impact assessments and risk analysis studies.
In July 2025, the application file for the EMME project was officially submitted. With over 3,700 pages, the file was reviewed and deemed complete and compliant by French authorities in early August — a key milestone in the regulatory process. The dossier is now under review by the relevant government services through early November. The next major step will be a 30-day Public Inquiry, planned for the end of the year 2025/beginning of 2026, which will give citizens access to all relevant information from the DDAE and allow for public feedback.
Project high-level timeline
The engineering teams’ ongoing process optimization, combined with constructive dialogue with the public — particularly during the official consultation phases — have led to significant operational improvements across the project. These evolutions have enhanced multiple dimensions, especially in terms of industrial safety, flood risk management, and preservation of the natural environment.
Examples of operational and environmental Improvements cover all project aspects :
Process Safety: The industrial process has been revised to eliminate the use of sulfur dioxide entirely, significantly reducing associated risks.
Flood Risk Management: The site's footprint was reduced by almost 50%, and the shape of the protective embankment redesigned. The new embankment ensures flood protection up to a centennial flood level plus an additional 120 cm sea level rise — a conservative scenario exceeding PPRI (French flood risk regulations) and aligned with the IPCC’s most pessimistic 2150 projections. This design was independently reviewed and validated by a second expert firm, CDR, based in the Netherlands.
Biodiversity and Ecosystems: To preserve natural habitats, the project was adapted to avoid disrupting an ecological corridor, a group of trees, and nearby riparian zones. These areas will retain 100% of their ecological function, ensuring continued support for local biodiversity. In line with regulatory requirements, significant compensatory measures are planned.
Water Resource Management: The project's water consumption has been drastically reduced through the use of closed-loop systems in several process cycles.
Additionally, the site will maximize the use of rainwater, with storage tanks in place, and plans to use treated wastewater from a nearby treatment plant.
All of these developments and environmental commitments have been publicly disclosed during the official consultation process led by the French National Commission for Public Debate (CNDP) and are available on the related website.
