Lhyfe secures €149 million grant for green hydrogen plant near Le Havre

French renewable hydrogen producer Lhyfe will receive financial support from the French government for the construction of a green hydrogen production plant with an installed electrolysis capacity of 100 MW near Le Havre. The support will come in the form of a grant of up to €149 million.

This project, led by Lhyfe for over two years, has been approved by the European Commission as part of the third wave of IPCEI (Important Projects of Common European Interest) on hydrogen, the company said.

The financial support from the government was confirmed during the visit of Roland Lescure, French Delegate Minister for Industry and Energy, to Le Havre for the 7th “Rencontres de l’Axe Seine”.

As part of the project, Lhyfe intends to produce up to 34 tonnes of green hydrogen per day near the Grand Canal du Havre, one of Europe’s largest industrial port areas.

“This support from the French government confirms Lhyfe’s status as a key player in the renewable hydrogen industry, and its confidence in the know-how and expertise of Lhyfe’s teams, pioneers in the industry,” Lhyfe stated.

The Lhyfe production site, to be located on a 2.8-hectare plot of land in Gonfreville-l’Orcher, is scheduled to be operational by 2028.

The site is close to the Yara plant in Le Havre, whose decarbonization roadmap includes the use of green hydrogen. According to Lhyfe, Yara is interested in and supports Lhyfe’s project, and will explore with the company all possible collaborations to decarbonize its industrial process.

Implementation of this project is subject to the granting of operating authorizations, construction permits as well as final financial investment decisions by Lhyfe and its main partners.

Matthieu Guesné, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Lhyfe, said: “We are honored by the government’s significant support for Lhyfe’s project to build the future green hydrogen production site at Gonfreville-L’Orcher, which is a concrete expression of the decarbonization policy France has been pursuing for several years.

“This announcement is a mark of confidence in Lhyfe and its expertise, and a true recognition of the work accomplished. This project meets the challenges of the industrial port zone of Le Havre: a 100 MW site, capable of producing up to 34 tonnes of decarbonated hydrogen per day. It is towards this greener horizon that this plant is leading us! The region’s needs are present and massive, and we can meet them right now with a clean, mature and appropriate technology.”

In France, Lhye is also a coordinator of an 18-member consortium that wants to establish an advanced green hydrogen valley. The project, to be located in French Loire Valley, has received an €8.9 million grant from the European Commission through the Clean Hydrogen Joint Undertaking.

Back in 2022, Lhyfe inaugurated the world’s first offshore green hydrogen production pilot platform. In 2023, the company launched its second and third sites, and currently has several sites under construction or expansion across Europe.