As part of its research activities within the SHAREDH2 consortium, the Dordogne Breeders’ Association (ASSELDOR) is exploring the potential for using renewable hydrogen in mixed farming, thereby enabling greater autonomy and resilience for the agricultural sector.
To this end, it is collaborating with a farm in Périgord dedicated to goat’s cheese production, which is committed to a system based on the use of solar energy and renewable hydrogen to reduce its energy dependence. This farm is combining energy production from renewable sources, storage in the form of hydrogen and the use of new technologies to demonstrate that the energy transition can also become a reality in rural areas.
This pilot test by the SHAREDH2 consortium exemplifies the role that hydrogen can play in the energy transition in rural areas (contributing to both environmental sustainability and local economic development), while continuing to enable the integration of hydrogen into agri-food production.
An uncertain energy context driving innovation
Unpredictable fluctuations in energy prices are causing concern in the agricultural sector, which is seeking solutions to reduce its energy dependence and ensure the continuity of its activities. The motorisation of farms, machinery, heating, irrigation systems and frost control are essential processes that require a stable energy supply. As a result, more and more farms are opting to store and manage renewable energy intelligently.
A pilot case in Périgord
ASSELDOR, based in the French department of Dordogne, is currently studying a pilot project for a farm specialising in dairy goat breeding and the production of quality cheeses. This goat cheese is known as ‘Cabécou du Périgord’ and has been awarded the Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) label. This label guarantees the origin of the milk used and ensures that production methods comply with traditional practices.
With an average energy consumption of 500 kWh per day, the farm has opted for an innovative solution based on renewable energy and the use of hydrogen to ensure its energy autonomy. In addition, this initiative protects the 11 jobs it generates in this sparsely populated rural area.
The SHAREDH2 project
The farm offered itself as an experimental site for the European SHAREDH2 project, which seeks to develop technical and economic solutions for the use of hydrogen in rural environments. The farm’s data was used by ASSELDOR and integrated into a simulator developed specifically for this project.
ASSELDOR has studied 17 scenarios combining photovoltaic energy, a battery and hydrogen storage, and is the first of its kind in this field. The system combines the advantages of both types of storage. Hydrogen allows large amounts of energy to be stored over the long term, and batteries allow short-term consumption peaks to be covered.
During the months of highest solar production, in summer, the surplus energy present in the batteries is transformed into hydrogen by electrolysis. As part of the hydrogen recovery project, the hydrogen will be extracted from storage and converted into electricity using a fuel cell during the autumn and winter seasons, when there is insufficient sunlight for the battery to meet the farm’s night-time needs. Thanks to this system, the facility could achieve energy autonomy of between 75% and 80%.
New applications
ASSELDOR is working on the feasibility of launching a demonstrator at the end of 2025, in collaboration with technical partners (currently in the selection phase).
As for the motorisation of agricultural work, other possibilities need to be explored, such as the development of systems to protect against spring frosts and further uses for hydrogen in agricultural motorisation. These topics will be addressed in ASSELDOR’s upcoming initiatives and phases within the framework of the SharedH2 project.