Europe’s proclivity for clean and renewable energy has become all too evident in recent years as the continent aims to reach its clean energy targets by the end of the decade. In that regard, Siemens Energy has given the hydrogen sector in Europe a massive boost as the company has announced the successful delivery of its first shipment of electrolyzers for Air Liquide’s 200 MW hydrogen facility in France. With the end of the traditional oil and gas sector edging ever closer by the day, hydrogen has emerged from the sea of renewable energy as an effective transitional energy resource.
Air Liquide’s 200MW Normand’Hy hydrogen production project is moving forward towards a 2026 completion date
The astonishing Normand’Hy hydrogen production project has shaken up the European energy market, and the delivery of the first nine of 12 PEM electrolysers marks a significant milestone in the project’s development.
The 200MW Normand’Hy hydrogen is located in Port-Jérôme, France, and is expected to begin operations in 2026, boasting a generating capacity of clean hydrogen around 28,000 tonnes annually. The new electrolyzers were built by Siemens Energy at its joint venture facility in Germany, one of Europe’s largest PEM stack production facilities.
The facility in Berlin has the capacity to increase stack production to 3GW from the 1 GW it currently is capable of. Siemens Energy patted itself on the back for the on-time delivery of the huge electrolyzers for the project, much to the delight of the French government and industry insiders, as they welcome the adoption of hydrogen in Europe.
“With partnerships like these, we are not just talking about a greener future, we are shaping it.” – Siemens Energy
France’s energy revolution has been gaining momentum in recent years
The 200MW Normand’Hy hydrogen in Port-Jérôme exemplifies France’s ambition to increase reliance on the renewable energy sector. The project was launched under the EU’s Important Projects of Common European Interest (IPCEI) program and represents a $470 million investment by Air Liquide, not to mention it has the substantial backing of the French government.
Once the project has moved past the construction phase towards operational status, it is expected to produce up to 28,000 tonnes of green hydrogen per year. And could potentially prevent 250,000 tonnes of CO₂ emissions annually, an incomprehensible amount by modern-day standards.
The entire European energy market will benefit from the new hydrogen project in France
As the project is set for a 2026 completion date, the realization that the European energy market is changing has not been lost on the litany of sectors that will benefit from the 200MW Normand’Hy hydrogen project. Approximately a quarter of the hydrogen produced on-site will serve transport refuelling stations along the Seine Axis, powering up to 500 hydrogen trucks.
While some other European nations have big and innovative hydrogen projects being developed by some of the largest energy companies in the world, the French are fostering a new hydrogen future by developing the astonishing 200 MW hydrogen project. OMV has revealed its progress in developing one of Europe’s biggest green hydrogen electrolysis facilities in Austria.
The hydrogen dream is reaching into new regions of the world that could redefine the global market
The news of the on-time delivery of electrolyzers for the French hydrogen project comes on the back of Hyundai Motors developing a $654 million hydrogen and electrolyzer manufacturing complex in South Korea, marking a new era of hydrogen production capacity around the world. The overarching realization that the global energy market is transitioning has led to several energy-rich nations contemplating their own hydrogen ambitions. With hydrogen being the most abundant element in the known universe, the time has come for the international energy sector to embrace the potential it has stored away.
