The first site will be located in Villabé (Essonne), near the Hyliko distribution station, ideally situated along the A6 motorway, south of Paris. The hydrogen produced from biomass residues will supply the first trucks in the Paris region. The second site will be unveiled this year.

Each site will allow CarbonLoop to produce 225 tonnes of hydrogen and 1,100 tonnes of biochar from 7,000 tonnes of biomass residues per year, and to sequester approximately 2,400t CO2e, certified by carbon credits.

CarbonLoop will market the hydrogen to Hyliko (Kouros Group), which will distribute it through its network of service stations for trucks.

Through its water retention and fertiliser properties, the biochar produced will be marketed by CarbonLoop to the agricultural sector in order to help restore soils in a context of increasing water stress and inflation of nitrogen fertilisers.

The result of nearly a decade of research and development, HYNOCA® technology produces hydrogen from biomass residues in three stages: a thermolysis unit during which the heated biomass is broken down into a solid residue (biochar) and a gas that is then refined in a high-temperature cracking unit and finally purified in a third unit to retain only the hydrogen.

As it produces biochar recognised as a sustainable carbon sink by the IPCC, the HYNOCA® process produces renewable hydrogen and removes CO2 from the atmosphere in a sustainable way.

In the context of high energy prices, the two projects offer promise for biomass residues, and contribute to the accelerated decarbonisation of road freight transport and to soil restoration. Biomass thermolysis offers a complementary and agile response to water electrolysis for the production of renewable hydrogen, serving the resilience of territories and the development of their local resources.

Claire Chastrusse, CEO of CarbonLoop, said it chose Haffner Energy’s HYNOCA® technology because not only does it produce renewable hydrogen from biomass residues, offering an interesting alternative to hydrogen production by electrolysis of water, but also because it allows the co-production of biochar, a plant-based charcoal with agronomic benefits that respond to water stress issues and remove CO2 from the atmosphere.

The fact that Haffner Energy is a French company has also reinforced its approach of favouring French and European channels for its solution, she said.

Philippe Haffner, Chairman and CEO of Haffner Energy, said the prospect of producting competitive carbon-negative hydrogen is a “strong differentiator” for customers who will choose HYNOCA® technology.

In a separate statement, Haffner Energy said it is accelerating the conversion of its €54m backlog into firm orders and expanding its commercial prospects with a sales team that now consists of 11 staff, compared with two a year ago.

The R-Hynoca station in Strasbourg will produce clean hydrogen energy from locally sourced biomass. A joint venture between R-ENS and Haffner Energy, the project is expected to supply the local transport industry as it transitions from fossils fuels to clean energy.

The station is expected to open for commercial hydrogen production in 2023.