Lhyfe (EURONEXT: LHYFE), one of the world’s pioneers in green and renewable hydrogen production for mobility and industry, is inaugurating its latest green and renewable hydrogen production site – Lhyfe Bretagne – in Buléon today. The site is the first of its kind to be built in Brittany and one of the two largest in France, along with the Lhyfe Occitanie site. Lhyfe Bretagne will mainly supply hydrogen for local transport and the industrial processes of regional companies. Lorient Agglomération will be the first urban community in Brittany to benefit from the hydrogen produced at the site. Lhyfe Bretagne is part of the VHyGO or Great West Hydrogen Valley project, supported by ADEME.
Double kick-off for Lhyfe and the Region of Brittany
Two years after the opening of its first site in Pays de la Loire, and a week after the launch of Lhyfe Occitanie, Lhyfe is today inaugurating a production unit in Brittany, thus confirming its promise of large-scale industrial deployment (five other sites are already under construction or expansion across Europe). These two new sites in Brittany and Occitanie – each with five times the production capacity of the initial site – meet the growing market demand for green and renewable hydrogen. Lhyfe’s aim is to produce up to 80 tonnes a day by 2026.
This site also marks the start of Brittany’s hydrogen fuel chain, with Lorient Agglomération due to launch its first hydrogen-powered services in the first quarter of 2024.
Clean fuel produced locally, to supply the entire region
Lhyfe will produce up to two tonnes of green and renewable hydrogen per day, or up to 575 tonnes per year (installed electrolysis capacity of 5 MW), from the site in Buléon (Morbihan), near the VSB Energies Nouvelles wind farm. Two tonnes of hydrogen would enable a hydrogen truck to travel around 25,000 km, without emitting a single gram of CO2. With the same quantity, a car could travel the equivalent of five times around the earth, or around 200,000 km.
In addition to producing its hydrogen by electrolysis of water, Lhyfe also uses renewable electricity, resulting in hydrogen that is completely carbon-free. Power Purchase Agreements (PPA) signed with renewable electricity producers, including VSB Energies Nouvelles, ensure the supply of power.
The central location of this site will enable Lhyfe to supply its customers throughout the Brittany region, as part of a short supply chain approach.
Decarbonising mobility and industry and developing a regional hydrogen project in Brittany
Lhyfe Bretagne is part of the VHyGO or Great West Hydrogen Valley initiative, supported by local public and private stakeholders. VHyGO aims to build the first supraregional infrastructure for the production and distribution of green hydrogen in the west of France, to democratise this new energy carrier and decarbonise industry and transport.
Through this VHyGO initiative, Lhyfe Bretagne will supply two HyGO filling stations in the Lorient urban area – one at Lorient bus depot, which is due to be inaugurated in Q1 2024, and the other on the left bank of the river Scorff, which will cater for maritime uses. Eventually, 19 buses – the first of which are also due to be delivered during Q1 2024 – and two passenger transport boats (known as Transrades) could be powered by this clean and local energy in the Lorient conurbation. These hydrogen-powered Transrades will be a first in France. Lorient Agglomération is actively participating in ecological transition by renewing its public transport fleet. It aims for its fleet to be made up entirely of clean vehicles in 2030 and to achieve carbon neutrality in 2050 with the migration of buses (80% of the fleet will run on BioNGV and 20% on renewable hydrogen), as well as maritime vessels (with the arrival of hydrogen-powered sea buses).
A new compact, modular industrial production format
In Buléon, like at the Lhyfe Occitanie site, the production unit now has a new “containerised” format, which has the dual advantage of reducing the footprint of sites, and promoting their scalability to support the development of hydrogen uses in the regions.
Lhyfe Bretagne – which occupies a site of around 6,800 sq. metres – comprises a series of containerised buildings devoted to various functions (e.g. driver reception, control room, electrical conversion, water electrolysis, compression, quality control, etc.), a truck circulation area and loading bays for trucks transporting hydrogen to filling stations and various customers.
To encourage mobility players to switch to hydrogen, Lhyfe launched the Lhyfe Heroes digital platform, in 2022, which includes all the necessary information for this transition, such as a simulator to assess needs and estimate the kilos of CO2 avoided, a catalogue listing hydrogen players, and an “Ecosystems” module identifying hydrogen pioneers nearby for the launch of joint projects. Lhyfe Heroes will very soon be opening an Ecosystem for Brittany, through which local players will have access to a first Group Buy Offer, facilitating access to a selection of seven hydrogen-powered vehicles from Stellantis and GCK Mobility, including coaches, dump trucks, refuse collection vehicles and light commercial vehicles.
Pierre Bouédo, Mayor of Buléon: “The municipality of Buléon is extremely proud to be inaugurating Brittany’s first green and renewable hydrogen production site today. The hydrogen produced here will be delivered throughout the region, decarbonising transport and industry and contributing to Brittany’s energy autonomy.”
Fabrice LOHER, President of Lorient Agglomération and Mayor of Lorient: “Lorient Agglomération’s ambition is to accelerate its ecological, energy and digital transitions, in particular by decarbonising its land and sea transport. This transition is essential to achieve energy sobriety, and even sovereignty, for our area. The inauguration of this hydrogen production unit is part of the deployment of an integrated local renewable hydrogen chain, from production to use, including research and development, innovation and training. The first seven hydrogen buses will soon be on the road and fuelled by the hydrogen production unit in Buléon. In parallel, ENSIBS, the South Brittany University National Engineering School has been offering France’s first apprenticeship engineering degree in “Energy and Hydrogen” since the start of the academic year, to better align the region’s training offer with the future needs of companies in the energy sector. By promoting innovation and building on the structuring of new strategic sectors such as renewable hydrogen, Lorient Agglomération is strengthening its position as a major economic player in Brittany.”
Matthieu Guesné, Founder and CEO of Lhyfe: “Our site in Buléon, the first green and renewable hydrogen production site to see the day in Brittany and one of the largest sites in France, will soon be able to come into service to decarbonise industry and mobility in the region. We are very proud to be working with our public and private partners to help build a new industry for the future in Brittany, and to offer local stakeholders a viable alternative to fossil fuels from 2024.”
Lhyfe Bretagne is part of the Great West Hydrogen Valley (VHyGO) project, and, as such, has benefited from part of the funds allocated to the project partners.
The consortium made up of HyGO, GNVert and Lhyfe was awarded a Global Performance Contract by the urban area of Lorient for the design, construction, operation and maintenance of two green and renewable hydrogen refuelling stations. Lhyfe Bretagne will supply them with green and renewable hydrogen for a period of ten years.
