Fonds Chaleur 2025: 1,200 projects supported to phase out fossil fuels
Published on 22 April 2026, the review points out that heat accounts for 43% of energy consumption in France.
On 22 April 2026, ADEME published the 2025 review of the Fonds Chaleur (heat fund), reporting 1,200 support projects aimed at phasing out fossil fuels.
Heat requirements now account for 43% of energy consumption in France, still mostly met by fossil, carbon-intensive and imported energy: gas, oil and coal.
District heating networks are an essential solution, particularly in urban areas and in situations where heat pumps cannot be deployed.
In February 2026, the Government published the third multiannual energy programme, aimed at reducing the share of imported fossil fuels — 60% of consumption in 2023 — in order to reach 60% low-carbon energy in 2030.
PPE3 sets a target of 328 to 421 TWh of renewable and recovered heat by 2035, compared with 172 TWh in 2023.
This target puts industrial waste heat back at the centre of the picture: heat lost by processes is a resource that can be directly harnessed to supply urban networks.