France backs three electrolytic hydrogen projects with €778m over 15 years

France bets big on low-carbon hydrogen

The French government is putting up 778 million euros to support three hydrogen projects for fifteen years. The support came out of a competitive tender launched at the end of 2025; the winners are now known. The money is meant to make hydrogen produced by electrolysis affordable for industry.

How does the support work?

France has opted for operating aid per kilogram of hydrogen, spread over fifteen years. That bridges the gap between the (still) high production costs and the market price. Notably, France counts not only green hydrogen (from sun and wind) but also hydrogen made with nuclear power. That is why Paris deliberately speaks of 'low-carbon' rather than 'green' hydrogen.

Which projects are they?

The three selected projects together add up to 415 megawatts of electrolysers, of which around 161 megawatts actually receives subsidy:

• Hydrozère (ENGIE Solutions H2) — 5 MW at the ArcelorMittal steelworks in Saint-Chély-d'Apcher. Hydrogen for steel production.
• eM-Rhône (Elyse Energy) — 210 MW at the Les Roches-Roussillon chemical complex in Isère. For synthetic methanol, made with captured CO2 from a Lafarge cement works.
• FertHySomme (FertigHy) — 200 MW in Languevoisin-Quiquery (Somme). For low-carbon nitrogen fertiliser.

Part of a bigger plan

The projects fit into France's ambition to install 1 gigawatt of electrolyser capacity. The winners now have two months to finalise their financing. That the first projects mainly target industry — steel, methanol and fertiliser — makes sense: there, hydrogen is hard to replace with direct electrification.

Why this matters for mobility too

These three projects are about industry, not the pump. Even so, it is good news for hydrogen mobility. The more production capacity comes online and the further costs fall, the easier it becomes for clean hydrogen to eventually reach refuelling stations and heavy transport as well. We see scaling up production as an essential foundation under the entire hydrogen chain.

Sources

• Gasworld — France selects three electrolytic hydrogen projects for €778m in 15-year subsidies
• Hydrogen Europe — France selects three electrolytic hydrogen projects for €778m
• HydroNews — Paris awards nearly €800 million to three low-carbon hydrogen projects
• Fuel Cells Works — France selects three decarbonised hydrogen projects for €778 million (23 July 2026)