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HDF Energy (Hydrogène de France) has inaugurated the world’s first plant that will produce hydrogen fuel cells with a capacity of over 1 MW. Once operational, the facility will supply fuel cells for heavy maritime and railway transportation and generate electricity for public power grids, the French company said in a press release.
The new industrial site of HDF Energy will manufacture high-power fuel cells using PEM (proton exchange membrane) technology, which is already used in light mobility (cars and buses) worldwide and is recognized for its efficiency, durability and technological maturity.
The plant is expected to produce 1 GW of hydrogen cells a year by 2030
A pre-production phase and fuel cell test platform will be launched in 2025, and the plant’s industrialization will begin in 2026, with the aim of producing 1 GW a year by 2030. The factory is part of the HDF Industry project, aimed at developing and industrializing multi-megawatt fuel cells.
PEM fuel cells are powerful, compact, and emission-free, making them ideally suited to heavy mobility and electricity generation, the company said, adding that 80% of the new plant’s output will be exported. The plant is located in Blanquefort, near Bordeaux, France.
HDF Energy’s plants produce non-intermittent energy thanks to massive hydrogen storage
These fuel cells are the key component of HDF Energy’s Renewstable hydrogen power plants developed worldwide. The fuel cells in these plants produce non-intermittent renewable electricity thanks to massive storage of solar or wind energy in the form of hydrogen.
The European Commission has given the green light for the French government to support HDF Energy’s project as part of the Hy2Move wave of IPCEI hydrogen financing (Important Project of Common European Interest).
HDF Energy plans projects in former coal regions in Greece
HDF Energy is a leading global player in the hydrogen industry, dedicated to developing large-scale hydrogen infrastructure and manufacturing high-power fuel cells.
Since its IPO in 2021, the company has expanded internationally to some 30 countries. In May this year, it opened a subsidiary in Greece, with the aim of developing projects in the country’s former coal regions and helping Greek islands abandon fossil fuels, according to an announcement.
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