Haffner Energy begins biomass-based hydrogen production in France

Haffner Energy has successfully launched hydrogen production from biomass at its Marolles site in France, with plans to supply it for commercial use later this year.

The facility uses a thermochemical process to convert wood residues into “mobility-grade” hydrogen at a rate of 15kg per hour, designed to operate continuously for 8,000 hours per year.

Haffner will produce 11kg per hour in its first phase due to the existing pressure swing absorption (PSA) purification equipment. This will then be replaced by a PSA that can reach 15kg per hour capacity.

H2 View understands that the unit already produces hydrogen at 8 bar pressure, ready for commercial distribution in the second half of 2025, marketed to the transportation and industrial markets.

Furthermore, Haffner Energy has stated that a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for the offtake has been signed to supply 90 tonnes of hydrogen per year to an unnamed customer, mainly for mobility applications. This ensures that the hydrogen produced will have a market within the next few months.

Haffner Energy calls its biomass thermolysis process a “game changer” due to its cost competitiveness.

Reportedly, it can rival grey hydrogen at 20MW+ installations and it’s cheaper than electrolysis, benefiting from low energy costs (>€30/MWh) and high efficiency (>70%).

“Achieving the continuous production of competitive green hydrogen is a decisive step,” explained Philippe Haffner, Co-Founder and CEO of Haffner Energy.

“Currently, the industry faces significant delays due to the excessive cost of decarbonised hydrogen. We are confident that our solution will accelerate the adoption of renewable hydrogen and enhance the sector’s competitiveness.”