The energy transition is at the heart of the fight against the climate emergency, and green hydrogen is one of the solutions for a sustainable future. Here's the story and vision of Louis-Arnaud Péchenart, Senior Consultant at ACE Energie.
What field did you work in before getting involved in environmental and energy consulting, and what is your role today at ACE Energie?
I worked in the hydrogen field at Atawey. It was a formative experience for me, as it raised my awareness of environmental issues and the potential of hydrogen. It was also decisive in my subsequent career, enabling me to question the relevance of hydrogen solutions and determine the contexts in which they are best suited.
Today, I'm a senior consultant at ACE Energie. Our main mission is to support our customers in their energy and climate-related challenges, for example in defining a decarbonization strategy or optimizing their energy performance. We also explore regulatory issues, such as the EU-ETS, Europe's carbon allowance market. We help our customers to find the best solutions, for example by putting decarbonized hydrogen solutions in competition with other options such as batteries, biofuels or renewable gas. For example, in the steel industry, we helped a customer determine the best solution for replacing coal, by comparing natural gas and hydrogen. In short, we support our customers on complex issues to accelerate the ecological transition.
Peter Parker became Spiderman after being bitten by a radioactive spider as a hydrogen hero, what inspired you to specialize in consulting for energy and climate solutions, particularly hydrogen?
My “spider bite” was my growing awareness of climate change during my time at Atawey, thanks in particular to my discussions with the CTO, Pierre-Jean Bonnefond. These discussions enabled me to broaden my vision on these subjects.
What made me want to specialize in climate and energy consulting was the potential of hydrogen, which seemed promising to me, but only for certain uses. Sometimes hydrogen isn't relevant, because there are more competitive alternatives. That's why I'm now working in consulting: I want to identify the best solutions for achieving France's decarbonization objectives.
Batman battles the Joker, Peter Pan battles Captain Hook... what are the biggest difficulties you encounter in your day-to-day work as an environmental consultant at ACE Energie?
Time is our enemy. We're in a race against time in the face of global warming. Having more time would enable us to do more, to help more people and companies plan long-term strategies, which would enable us to better manage a complex situation.
Do you see hydrogen as one of the future solutions for a sustainable environment?
Hydrogen is a major issue in France's energy transition policy. Today, all solutions are put into competition in order to determine, in each case, which is the most economically efficient, the one with the lowest environmental impact and the most suitable.
My mantra is to prioritize the use of hydrogen for decarbonization, because some sectors have no real alternative for achieving zero carbon. For example, in the steel industry, there are two possibilities: carbon capture and storage or the use of hydrogen.
What do you see as the challenges facing the hydrogen market?
If I had to pick just three, I'd say:
- Prioritizing uses: It's crucial to determine the sectors where hydrogen is most relevant, given future energy constraints, and focus efforts on these areas.
- Properly finance this ecosystem: Substantial investment in research, development and infrastructure is needed to make hydrogen a viable solution.
- Ensure social acceptability: It is important to ensure that hydrogen is accepted by the public and trusted by industries, by raising awareness of the benefits and addressing concerns.
Why does ACE Energie stand out in the energy and climate field, particularly in promoting hydrogen as an alternative to fossil fuels?
At ACE Energie, we take a holistic approach. We look at every opportunity. Our technical expertise and our commitment to the fight against global warming are important to us, and we always approach issues through this prism, which is our corporate identity.
We don't simply promote hydrogen as an alternative, but rather examine the environmental relevance of the available solutions in relation to each other. Our recommendations are and always will be focused on the most relevant decarbonization solutions for our customers' specific needs.
If you were a superhero, who would you be?
If I were a superhero, I might be Flash in the context of my work. The issue for me is time. To combat climate change, Flash's ability to think fast, run fast, produce fast and work harder would be a good metaphor for my commitment to trying to accelerate the energy transition. I'm working to achieve emission reduction targets within tight timeframes. The more time passes, the more you realize that it really is a race against time.
In conclusion, what key message would you like to convey to those seeking to understand the importance of hydrogen and other energy solutions in the transition to a decarbonized economy?
To conclude, hydrogen is part of a set of energy solutions that are crucial to our future, in order to make a success of the energy transition while taking into account environmental and economic imperatives. I invite all stakeholders to work together to find the best solutions to combat global warming. We must not close doors or rush headlong into solutions. It's important to take the time to identify the challenges and opportunities associated with all solutions, and to be a driving force in this transition.
It's easy to wait and see what others are doing, but it's more difficult and rewarding to see an industrialist take the initiative to adopt a solution because it has proved relevant, even if this means taking risks and being a little ahead of the game.
