French green-hydrogen specialist Lhyfe has been chosen by the Port of Nantes Saint-Nazaire to build a green hydrogen factory in Montoir-de-Bretagne at the mouth of the Loire River.

It’s expected to produce up to 85 tonnes of green hydrogen a day.

A year ago the port issued a call for proposals for a hydrogen plant on its land. It wants to use the fuel to decarbonise its industrial and logistics systems.

Nantes Saint-Nazaire Port covers some 2,700ha, of which 1,350ha are taken up by warehouses and factories, including the 30ha Montoir-de-Bretagne site.

The plant will produce hydrogen by splitting water molecules using wind power.

It will need permits for construction and operation but, if approved, the plant should enter service in 2028.

In 2021, Lhyfe opened the world’s first industrial-scale, wind-powered green hydrogen plant at Bouin, south of Nantes on France’s west coast.

The year after, it inaugurated the first offshore green hydrogen production pilot platform.

Seven other sites are under construction in France, Germany, and Sweden.

Lhyfe is represented in 12 European countries and had 192 employees at the end of June.