Haffner Energy to Sell On-Site Renewable Hydrogen at Marolles via HRS H14 Refuelling Station

Haffner Energy is moving to commercialise the renewable hydrogen it produces at its Marolles site in France through the planned installation of an H14 refuelling station supplied by HRS. The equipment will give the company the ability to sell hydrogen made on-site from residual biomass, generating recurring revenue while testing the competitiveness of its product under real market conditions.

Marolles Facility Gains a Route to Market for Its Hydrogen

The H14 station was ordered in 2022 under the cooperation agreement between Haffner Energy and HRS. Its installation had been on hold pending greater clarity on hydrogen end uses, but 70 per cent of the contract value has now been paid, including a 20 per cent milestone payment recently settled.

With the H6 module commissioned and expressions of interest received from several potential buyers, the company says it is already anticipating the next phase, centred on bringing its hydrogen to market. Installation is scheduled for 2027, subject to completion of the necessary regulatory and administrative procedures, notably those covering hydrogen production and storage under France's ICPE regulations governing classified facilities for environmental protection.

Pressurising and Dispensing Up to 14 kg Per Hour

The Marolles facility is not currently equipped to bring the hydrogen it produces to the pressure levels required for distribution, a gap the H14 station will fill. The station will be capable of dispensing up to 14 kg of hydrogen per hour and will primarily be used to fill tube trailers for delivery to other refueling stations or industrial users. It will also allow vehicles to refuel on site at 350 and 700 bar, while providing buffer storage capacity.

A Site Designed to Pay for Itself

According to the company, more than 85 per cent by value of the equipment needed for the Marolles production and refuelling chain, from biomass conversion through to hydrogen ready for delivery, has already been installed and/or paid for. Hydrogen sales are expected to complement Haffner Energy's role as a technology supplier with recurring revenue from the sale of energy and renewable molecules, consistent with the strategic shift announced in July 2026.

That revenue is intended to cover the operating costs of the Marolles site and make the centre self-funding. The site will keep its role as a testing and training center while continuing to act as an industrial and commercial showcase for the company's technologies. Its ongoing operation will also generate operational data and demonstrate the long-term performance of the H6 process under real operating conditions.

Commercial Proof of Concept for Biomass-Based Hydrogen

Beyond the revenue expected at Marolles, Haffner Energy frames the sale of hydrogen as serving a strategic objective: showing that producing renewable hydrogen from residual biomass at costs comparable to 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 supply 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."

Integrated Offer Planned for CORE100 Projects

The companies say the HRS station destined for Marolles illustrates the complementary nature of their solutions, pairing local hydrogen production with refuelling infrastructure. For projects developed under the CORE100 reservation program, the Group intends to offer customers an integrated solution covering the entire value chain, from hydrogen production through to storage and refuelling. Where H6 facilities are delivered under its responsibility and incorporate storage and refueling infrastructure, Haffner Energy plans to deploy HRS stations. The high availability of HRS stations, in excess of 95 percent, is cited as a significant advantage for operators.

Data Center Backup Power Emerges as Second Application

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

HRS describes this as a natural complement to the energy offering Haffner Energy is developing 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, the companies say, provide an architecture particularly suited to that segment.