Elogen to massify production for Europe’s hydrogen projects

The French tech company for PEM electrolysis Elogen has taken a key step in the massification of its production, as a key player in the green hydrogen sector in France and Europe.

Following its acquisition by GTT in October 2020, Elogen says it has taken a key step in the massification of its production. So, the construction of a new stack assembly line at the Les Ulis site (Paris region) will boost Elogen’s production capacity to 160 stacks per year. This will make it the largest production capacity in France, by far, at 160 MW per year.

GTT develops systems dedicated to the use of LNG as fuel, as well as a full range of services. The group is also active in hydrogen through its subsidiary Elogen, which designs and assembles electrolysers notably for the production of green hydrogen.

This move is supported by the French government through the territorial component of its industrial revival plan. The classification is also helped by partnerships with the Ile-de-France Regional Council and Bpifrance.

In addition to the new production line, Elogen has been working on a Gigafactory project for several months, with the aim of producing high-capacity stacks from 2025.

The Gigafactory project is one of the 15 projects that the French government submitted to the European Commission as part of the IPCEI on Hydrogen. After an initial design phase for the future stack production line, Elogen is currently finalising the choice of site in France.

Elogen’s objective is to commercialise at least 400 MW of electrolysis capacity per year by 2030. This capacity could reach more than 1 GW if the Gigafactory project is selected as part of the IPCEI.

In addition, Elogen is focusing its R&D efforts in order to optimise the efficiency of its electrolysers:

• development of high-powered stacks;
• standardisation and streamlining of the “Balance-of-Plant”;
• use of new materials (polymers, catalysts, stack components).

Since the acquisition in 2020, the GTT Group has invested nearly €15 million ($16.9 million) in the development of Elogen. GTT will continue to build it to make it a flagship of the French and European hydrogen sector.

Philippe Berterottière, CEO of GTT, said: “After 2021, Elogen is now a key player in the green hydrogen sector in France and Europe. A resolutely technological company, Elogen is entering a new phase of its development with a first industrial ramp-up, with the ambition of developing ever more efficient and high-performance PEM electrolysers. Elogen’s strong R&D, combined with that of the GTT Group, aims to develop a differentiating French technology, and to reduce the cost of producing carbon-free hydrogen.”

Jean-Baptiste Choimet, managing director of Elogen, added: “Elogen kicks off 2022 with the largest electrolyser production capacity in France. With over 15 years of expertise in the development of PEM electrolysers, Elogen relies on highly qualified teams, leading academic partnerships and a diversified French and European ecosystem. In 2021, these assets enabled Elogen to win the trust of prestigious clients, through innovative and defining projects for the hydrogen value chain.”