In July, Q ENERGY, a key player in renewable energy in Europe, and Inthy, a French company specializing in renewable energy production and low-carbon heavy-duty mobility solutions, announced a joint development partnership for an innovative hybrid renewable energy project near Dijon, Burgundy. The collaboration aims to commission a green hydrogen production facility by 2028, powered in part by an integrated agrivoltaics plant. This project will contribute to the decarbonization of local authority fleets, regional heavy goods vehicles, and industrial processes.
A Groundbreaking Regional Renewable Energy Initiative
The project, spanning 11 hectares, will combine a 5 MW electrolyzer with a 7 MWp agrivoltaics plant on the same site. The solar power plant will supply a portion of the green electricity required to operate the adjacent hydrogen production unit, with the rest coming from renewable electricity purchase agreements. Once operational, the electrolyzer is expected to produce up to 2 tonnes of green hydrogen per day, equivalent to the consumption of 65 buses.
“This project, which combines agrivoltaics with hydrogen production, showcases the innovative goals of Q ENERGY and Inthy. It forms part of a broader effort to decarbonize non-electric sectors in the region, working closely with local elected officials, the agricultural community, and industrial stakeholders,” said Corentin Sivy, Head of Development France at Q ENERGY.
Decarbonizing Heavy Mobility and Local Industrial Processes
The hydrogen produced will be used to decarbonize regional fleets of heavy vehicles, such as buses and trucks, through partnerships with local authorities and manufacturers. This locally sourced green hydrogen will secure a stable, long-term energy supply at a fixed price, benefiting both public transport and industrial operations in the region.
The project’s focus on heavy-duty mobility and industrial processes highlights green hydrogen’s potential to significantly reduce carbon emissions. For heavy vehicles, hydrogen offers an environmentally friendly fuel option while maintaining the performance of conventional fossil fuel vehicles in terms of range, speed, and load capacity. In industrial processes, green hydrogen serves as an effective replacement for carbon-based natural gas.
“By using local renewable electricity to produce hydrogen, this project will strengthen regional mobility ecosystems in places like Auxerre, Belfort, and Dijon, while reducing CO2 emissions from public transport fleets, regional vehicles, and neighboring industrial processes,” explained Dominique Darne, Chairman of Inthy.
