Driven by a consortium of 16 stakeholders, including manufacturers, energy companies and equipment suppliers, the Ch0C project was launched in 2022 with the aim of providing a concrete response to the decarbonization challenges facing an industry still heavily dependent on gas. The boiler has been operational at the Villers-Saint-Paul site since June 2025.

It features oxy-fuel technology, which replaces air with oxygen in the combustion process, thereby improving energy efficiency while concentrating CO₂. The gas can then be captured more easily for recovery or storage. The boiler, with a capacity of 3 MW, was assembled in Nérac before being installed in the Oise department.  

Our Eiffage Énergie Systèmes teams are involved in this project as observers and technical experts. Our expertise in CO₂ measurement and analysis solutions, as well as emission capture, lets us share our know-how on the quality and reliability of the demonstrator's environmental measurements. Eiffage Énergie Systèmes has also played an advisory role, notably by pointing out the regulatory requirements vital to integrating this innovative technology into the industrial landscape.

Beyond steam production, the Ch0C system could be used for a wide range of industrial applications, particularly in cases where electrification is not an option. According to the project partners, the total operating cost of Ch0C, excluding taxes, could be up to 40% lower than the cost of an electric boiler and at least equivalent to that of a biomass boiler.