Hydrogen+. Can you tell us about your reversible high-temperature electrolyzer technology for the production of carbon-free hydrogen?
Florence Lambert. The technology is based on the mastery of thermodynamic physics: rather than electrolyzing liquid water, we electrolyze vaporized water, which is much more efficient. The high temperature (700 to 800 degrees) is of real interest, because it allows less energy to be used to produce hydrogen. We have superheaters to cause the reaction and airtight boxes; then the exothermic reaction works on its own. This stage of thermodynamic control allows us to position ourselves in favorable conditions with 15% more yield compared to alkaline. In industry, Genvia’s priority market, we regularly have waste heat available. From 150°C of waste heat, you obtain 15% additional efficiency. We therefore obtain a differential of 30% in total yield compared to other electrolysis technologies.
We are not the only ones developing this technology. On the other hand, we have serious assets with more than 40 patents filed by the CEA, our partner and shareholder, which places us among the world leaders. In addition, we have partnered with the industrialist Schlumberger, known for its engineering and production sites. Genvia was created in March 2021, started production in October 2021 and will have its pilot line in the summer of 2022. Everything is therefore moving very quickly. We are certainly still a young company, but our partner, the Occitanie region, and our two other shareholders, Vicat and Vinci, allow us to accelerate. The decarbonization of industry is something very important. If we want to preserve local jobs, we must be able to offer decarbonization solutions or use decarbonized hydrogen on production sites. It is within these niches that we operate.
What are the next development steps for Genvia?
We are in a phase of multiple developments with the maturity of our technology, the launch of the automated pilot line this summer and the opening of our first demonstrators with our partners in the next two years. OUR gigafactory will be launched in 2024 and will run at full capacity in 2029–2030. It will generate 500 direct jobs and more than double the number of indirect jobs.
Our work is integrated into the IPCEI hydrogen initiative (important project of common European interest) which will be launched this summer. But beyond its own adventure, Genvia must unite forces and lead an entire ecosystem, for example by creating jobs near the sites when possible. Our objectives are multiple, and one of them is to focus on the development of local ecosystems, also with regard to the carbon content that we produce and that we want to make virtuous. However, we have the advantage of being little dependent on critical materials and our tests to recycle them are conclusive.
