The deed of sale of the land where McPhy’s electrolyser gigafactory will be built was signed on Friday 16 September in the town hall of Belfort between the manufacturer and local institutional partners. This is an important step. Preparatory work should begin shortly, but McPhy is still awaiting confirmation, particularly of public aid.
The large electrolyser factory of McPhy promised to Belfort is taking shape. In May 2021, the industrialist from the Drôme pre-selected the Territoire de Belfort to install its gigafactory. This Friday, McPhy signed the deed of acquisition of an 8-hectare plot of land at the Aéroparc de Fontaine, just opposite Comafranc, sold by the equipment company Sodeb for 800,000 euros excluding tax. “This is excellent news”, welcomed Damien Meslot, president of the Republican Party of Greater Belfort, in the hall of honour of Belfort town hall, which hosted the ceremony. He recalled that this location will bring “growth” and “industrial development”. “It is a highly strategic project”, noted Florian Bouquet, president of the equipment company Sodeb, which is selling the land.
In July 2022, the European Commission gave the green light for massive public funding of 41 hydrogen projects in Europe, to the tune of 5.4 billion euros. The French government has yet to confirm the arbitration on the envelope dedicated to French companies, but on 10 February, the President of the Republic Emmanuel Macron had announced 114 million euros for McPhy. “We are waiting for confirmation of the amount,” confirms Jean-Baptiste Lucas, McPhy’s CEO, very cautiously. The contractualization with the Public Investment Bank is still in progress. In this context, if preparatory work is going to start soon at the Aeropark, the management is still discreet about the precise timetable for the laying of the foundation stone, the duration of the site and the launch of production. The timetable unveiled at the beginning of the project is still valid. It is hoped that production will start in 2024. The final decision of its board of directors will be taken in the autumn. The “official” start of the work should, according to our information, arouse the interest of the government.
Source : letrois.fr