French electrolyser firms eye IPCEI funding

Mcphy and Elogen take different stances on gigafactory construction as they await EU decision

French electrolyser and hydrogen filling station manufacturer Mcphy has delayed FID on a proposed electrolyser gigafactory at Belfort in northeastern France until mid-2022 as its seeks financial support under the EU’s Important Projects of Common European Interest (IPCEI) scheme. Mcphy had previously targeted the end of 2021 for FID on the plant, but the project “remains conditional on obtaining financing under the IPCEI”, the company says in its 2021 earnings report. The initial timeline was for production to start in the first half of 2024 with a gradual ramp-up to 1GW/yr, taking Mcphy’s total capacity to 1.3GW/yr. The Belfort project, expected to cost €30-40mn ($34-45mn) is one of the fir