France: Auxerois Inagurates Largest Hydrogen Production and Distribution Site in France

• With a capacity of 1 MW, the AuxHYGen station can produce up to 400 kg of green hydrogen per day thanks to the electrolysis of water. 

This first achievement of Hynamics, a subsidiary of the EDF group specializing in hydrogen, will prevent the emission of 2,200 tonnes of CO ₂every year. Since the start of the school year, it has supplied five hydrogen buses operated by Transdev Auxerrois on the Leo urban transport network and is part of the territorial ecosystem project led by the Auxerrois agglomeration community.

This clean mobility project, which will have to address other uses in the coming months, is part of the territorial air-climate-energy plan and the proactive policy led by the agglomeration chaired by Crescent Marault in favor of the transition energy of its territories.

Hydrogen is a highly concentrated energy source whose use in mobility (via a fuel cell) only releases water and produces no noise pollution. Moreover, if it is produced by electrolysis of water, its production does not release CO ₂nor particles. It is for these reasons that the Agglomeration Community of Auxerrois has chosen this technology in order to decarbonize, among other things, its transport network. The project first came to fruition in December 2019 with the order for five units of the Businova H2 (SAFRA hydrogen bus equipped with Symbio batteries) today operated by Transdev Auxerrois on the Leo network. The AuxHYGen station, developed, built and operated by Hynamics, now makes it possible to supply them with green hydrogen produced locally and distributed in short circuits.

Since the start of the school year, the station, equipped by the Drôme resident McPhy, has supplied 20% of the Transdev Auxerrois bus fleet. By 2025, the ambition is to extend the production capacities of these facilities from 1 to 3 MW to support the emergence of all uses of hydrogen. This second phase of the project will benefit from the support of ADEME. This will allow the station to supply additional hydrogen buses, light commercial vehicles, trucks, trains, etc.

This project is more broadly part of the creation of a large-scale territorial hydrogen ecosystem desired by the Auxerrois agglomeration community. The objective: to establish strong partnerships between the territory of Auxerrois, under the aegis of the agglomeration, and industry and mobility players in order to bring about new hydrogen projects.

For Crescent Marault, President of the Auxerrois agglomeration community  : “The bet on hydrogen, as we have imagined it, carries great hopes. We want to anchor this technology in the region and get companies to appropriate it so that tomorrow, Auxerrois is ready before others. The Agglomeration is piloting a medium and long term strategy to become an autonomous energy territory. The role of a local authority is to prepare for the challenges of tomorrow and to initiate change in the service of its attractiveness, both for citizens and for businesses. ”

Jean-Bernard Lévy, Chairman and CEO of EDF , declared: “By commissioning the first hydrogen station of this scale in France, the EDF group and its subsidiary Hynamics are boosting the entire sector and send a strong signal: we are fully committed, alongside our partners, to making low-carbon and renewable hydrogen a lever to achieve our common carbon neutrality objectives. ”

Thierry Mallet, Chairman and CEO of Transdev , declared: “Our role as a mobility operator is to be alongside communities to support them in their search for solutions adapted to their territories. The example of Auxerrois is therefore symbolic of our desire to work hand in hand with elected officials and local economic and industrial partners. With this station and the development of its bus fleet, Auxerre, I am convinced it will very quickly be an example to follow for many communities but also for the Transdev group. ”

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