A global renewable energy firm has opened an office in Newcastle that will pave the way for a hydrogen production facility.
French firm Lhyfe, which is aiming to develop more than 90 green energy projects across Europe, is hoping to make an announcement on a production site in the North East in the next few weeks. The company, which has raised more than €100m to put its plans into reality, has a plant in France that supplies green hydrogen - a key fuel in the net zero drive - to a range of customers.
It is also developing a hydrogen rail scheme in Germany and is working with supermarket giant Lidl on a scheme to power forklift trucks with hydroden. Colin Brown, who has worked for a number of companies in the wind power sector, has been appointed UK country manager for Lhyfe.
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He said: “Renewable green hydrogen production at scale is one of the key solutions to help the UK reach its net zero targets. “It’s an enabler that offers a solution to all sectors and parts of society, and the good news is it’s available to be deployed today. We are exploring exciting opportunities across the UK to enable local decarbonisation.
“Lhyfe has a strong ethos of working with partners to deliver projects that create real local value, and this is a key focus for the newly formed UK business. The UK can become a global leader in the production of green hydrogen, moving away from our reliance on fossil fuels, improving energy security, contributing to net zero and helping drive the economy.
“Our mission is to deploy green hydrogen production at scale and grow our operations in line with demand. We encourage any UK industry or organisation seeking to decarbonise to get in touch with us.” Matthieu Guesné, CEO and founder of Lhyfe, said: “The opening of our UK subsidiary is in line with our international deployment plans. The speed with which this deployment is taking place - this is our sixth European subsidiary in two years - confirms the growing enthusiasm of European countries for renewable hydrogen, while our position as leader naturally amplifies the interest for Lhyfe.
“Through this subsidiary, we will be able to offer decarbonisation solutions that meet the specific uses and constraints of the British market.”
Lhyfe has won funds for its plans through a number of fundraising rounds before an IPO on the French Stock Exchange in 2020. It is aiming to produce 3GW of hydrogen by 2030, using renewable energy to power its processes. Its unit in Bouin, France, produces up to 300kg of hydrogen a day and will increase to 1,000kg per day next year, enough to run a fleet of around 25 buses.
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