This aid will soon be the subject of an agreement signed with Bpifrance.

In July, the European Commission authorised the 15 Member States concerned by the IPCEI Hydrogen Hy2Tech to provide public funding of up to €5.4bn. Elogen is one of the 41 projects selected in the Hydrogen production technology category.

Elogen’s project consists of increasing the intensity of its R&D to develop innovative stacks2 of proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrolysers as well as their components, and starting up a factory in Vendôme (Loir-et-Cher), allowing the stacks’ mass production.

Jean-Baptiste Choimet, Managing Director of Elogen, said the teams of Elogen and the GTT group are proud to be able to contribute to the development of hydrogen, supported by the proactive and ambitious strategies of the European Commission and its Member States.

He said, “The support provided by the French government to our project within the framework of the PIIEC is decisive and confirms the relevance of our positioning on innovation and the industrial ramp-up to develop efficient, high-performance and competitive PEM electrolysers, including the major hydrogen projects of tomorrow will need.”

In July, Elogan and Symbio, a joint venture between Faurecia and Michelin, signed a PEM electrolyser supply contract with an initial capacity of 2.5MW for Symbio’s new fuel cell plant (click here).

Located in Saint-Fons near Lyon, Symbio’s first gigafactory will be one of the largest manufacturing sites for hydrogen fuel cell systems in Europe with an eventual total production capacity of 50,000 systems per year.

SymphonHy will also house the Group’s head office, its R&D centre, the Symbio Hydrogen Academy and an incubator for start-ups around decarbonized hydrogen, and serve as a showcase for renewable energies and green hydrogen.

The Elogen electrolyser will produce part of the hydrogen volumes that Symbio will need, testing and activating its fuel cell systems at the end of the manufacturing process. It will be designed in a modular way, allowing Symbio to produce one tonne per day of low-carbon hydrogen.

The electrolyser will be delivered by Elogen to the Saint-Fons site during the fourth quarter of 2023, in line with the launch of production.

Elogen is also co-operating with Charbone Hydrogen to supply electrolysers to North American green hydrogen projects.

The French-based company has signed a letter of intent with Charbone to supply its PEM electrolysers up to 100MW, intended for the North American market, with a view to signing contracts no later than November 30.