HDF Energy opens 1MW+ hydrogen fuel cell factory
The plant was inaugurated on Thursday 30th May 2024 in Blanquefort (near Bordeaux, France) by Damien Havard, CEO and founder of HDF Energy, and Hanane El Hamraoui, Deputy CEO and VP Industry, in the presence of local public authorities.
Image courtesy HDF Energy
French hydrogen specialist HDF Energy (Hydrogène de France) has inaugurated what they are calling the world’s first 1MW+ fuel cell factory, aiming to decarbonise heavy maritime, rail mobility and power for public grids.
The industrial site will produce fuel cells using PEM (proton exchange membrane) technology, which is already used in light mobility (cars and buses) worldwide.
According to the company in a release, the cells are powerful, compact and emission-free, making them ideally suited to heavy mobility and electricity generation.
HDF Energy’s fuel cells replace diesel engines in freight and shunting locomotives with a hydrogen propulsion system. They also offer a solution for auxiliary power and ship propulsion, as well as supplying clean electricity to ships at berth.
HDF Energy set up the 7,000m² plant on the site of Ford’s former gearbox manufacturing plant in Blanquefort, near Bordeaux, France.
The fuel cell factory is part of the ‘HDF Industry’ project, an investment plan over several years aimed at developing and industrializing multi-megawatt fuel cells. To meet efficiency, durability and cost requirements, HDF Energy plans to launch successive R&D and industrialisation programmes for several product ranges from 1 to 10MW.
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From this summer, the plant will finalize its industrial process. In 2025, it will start the pre-production phase and the fuel cell test platform. Industrialisation will begin in 2026, with the aim of producing 1GW per year by 2030.
80% of the fuel cells manufactured at the plant will be exported.
According to HDF, the fuel cell is also the most strategic component of the Renewstable hydrogen power plants developed by HDF Energy.
The fuel cells in these plants produce non-intermittent renewable electricity, day and night, thanks to massive storage of photovoltaic or wind energy in the form of hydrogen.
HDF’s factory announcement follows 28 May 2024, the European Commission approved the financing of HDF Energy’s industrial project by the French government as part of the Hy2Move wave of IPCEI hydrogen financing (Important Project of Common European Interest), dedicated to the reindustrialization of Europe.
