Haffner Energy has announced the installation of an H14 hydrogen refueling station, supplied by HRS, at its Marolles site in France. The station, which will enable the company to sell green hydrogen produced on-site from residual biomass, is intended to provide a source of recurring revenue while allowing Haffner Energy to demonstrate the competitiveness of its hydrogen under real-world market conditions.

H14 Station Ordered Under 2022 Cooperation Agreement Moves Ahead

The station was ordered in 2022 as part of the cooperation agreement between the two companies. With 70 per cent of the contract value now paid, including a 20 per cent milestone payment recently settled, its installation had been put on hold pending greater clarity on hydrogen end uses.

Following the commissioning of the H6 module and expressions of interest from several potential buyers, Haffner Energy says it is already anticipating the next phase, focused on bringing the hydrogen produced to market.

The station is scheduled for installation in 2027, subject to completion of the necessary regulatory and administrative procedures, particularly those relating to hydrogen production and storage under France's regulations governing classified facilities for environmental protection (ICPE).

Towards Financial Self-Sufficiency at Marolles

According to the company, more than 85 per cent by value of the equipment required for the Marolles production and refuelling chain, from biomass conversion through to hydrogen ready for delivery, has already been installed and/or paid for.

The sale of hydrogen is expected to complement Haffner Energy's role as a technology supplier with recurring revenue from the sale of energy and renewable molecules, in line with the strategic shift announced in July 2026. This revenue is intended to cover the operating costs of the Marolles site, enabling the centre to become self-funding.

The site will retain its role as a testing and training centre while continuing to serve as an industrial and commercial showcase for the company's technologies. Its ongoing operation will also provide operational data and demonstrate the long-term performance of the H6 process under real operating conditions.

Proving Competitiveness in Real Market Conditions

Beyond the revenue expected to be generated at Marolles, the company frames the sale of hydrogen as serving a strategic objective: demonstrating that producing renewable hydrogen from residual biomass at costs comparable to those of fossil-based alternatives is not merely a theoretical prospect, but an industrial and commercial reality.

By the end of the year, the H6 module is expected to provide further technical validation of its ability to continuously produce renewable hydrogen meeting mobility-grade quality standards. The H14 station will then provide market validation through hydrogen sales under real market conditions.

Philippe Haffner, co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Haffner Energy, said: "The strategic development of Marolles illustrates our ambition to be not only a technology supplier, but also an energy producer generating recurring revenue. More importantly, combining our H6 module with HRS's H14 station will enable us to put our hydrogen to the test under real market conditions and demonstrate, in concrete terms and over the long term, its competitiveness with both fossil-based and electrolytic hydrogen. This market validation will provide an important benchmark for hydrogen users. We expect this commercial proof of concept to help shift market perceptions and accelerate the deployment of our technology, both internationally and in France."

From Production to Distribution

The Marolles facility is not currently equipped to bring the hydrogen it produces to the pressure levels required for distribution. The H14 station will provide this capability.

It will be able to dispense up to 14 kg of hydrogen per hour and will primarily be used to fill tube trailers for delivery to other refuelling stations or industrial users. The station will also enable vehicles to refuel on site at 350 and 700 bar, while providing buffer storage capacity.

Partnership Extends to CORE100 Projects and Data Centers

The HRS station to be installed at Marolles illustrates, according to the companies, the complementary nature of Haffner Energy's and HRS's solutions, combining local hydrogen production with refuelling infrastructure.

For hydrogen projects developed under the CORE100 reservation programme, the Group intends to offer customers an integrated solution covering the entire value chain, from hydrogen production through to storage and refuelling.

For H6 facilities delivered under its responsibility and incorporating storage and refuelling infrastructure, Haffner Energy plans to deploy HRS stations. The high availability of HRS stations, in excess of 95 per cent, is cited as a significant advantage for operators.

The partnership also opens up opportunities in the data center sector. HRS is developing the Secure Power Unit (SPU), a modular solution combining hydrogen storage and fuel cells to provide highly available emergency backup power.

The company describes this solution as a natural complement to the energy offering being developed by Haffner Energy for data centers, which targets availability of more than 99.995 per cent, in line with Tier IV infrastructure requirements.

Combining Haffner Energy's local renewable energy production with an HRS backup system powered by renewable hydrogen produced and stored on site would provide an architecture particularly suited to that segment.

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