McPhy: metal hydrides, electrolyzers and hydrogen stations

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McPhy is a French company founded in 2008, having initially developed a magnesium hydride hydrogen storage solution, but now focusing more on the production of electrolyzers and hydrogen stations.

McPhy history

McPhy Energy was founded in La Motte Fanjas in 2008. Initially, it developed a hydrogen storage system in the form of metal hydrides in partnership with the CEA and CNRS. The first tank, with a capacity of 1kg of H2, was delivered to CEA-Liten on March 29, 2010.

However, the company then shifted its focus to electrolyzers and hydrogen filling stations. In 2013, the startup acquired Piel, a designer ofalkaline electrolyzers. In 2014, it set up an electrolyzer production plant in Tuscany. In 2017, it launched a range ofPEM electrolyzers.

The young company is floated on the stock market in 2014 and EDF buys 21.7% of it in 2018. It increases its capital by €6.9 million in 2019, then by €180 million in 2020, of which €30 and €15 million come from Chart International Holdings and Technip Energies respectively.

Project news

On May 20, 2021, McPhy announced that it had pre-selected the Belfort site, “at the heart of the European hydrogen ecosystem and Energy Valley”, to set up its “Giga Factory”. This plant is designed to scale up the production of alkaline electrolyzers, which could radically reduce their unit cost. The target production capacity is 1GW/year. Its deployment would represent 30 to 40Mn€ is nevertheless “conditional in particular on obtaining financing under the IPCEI“(Financial results 2021).
On June 22, 2021, they announced the installation of a new industrial site in Grenoble, enabling them to increase their hydrogen station production capacity from 20 to 150 units per year. It was due to be operational in March 2022.
On September 7, 2021, they announced that they would supply hydrogen stations for the R-Hynoca project, in partnership with R-GDS (Strasbourg energy) and Haffner Energy.
On September 30, 2021, McPhy signed an agreement with Enel Green Power to supply a 4 MW pressurized alkaline electrolyzer from the Augmented McLyzer range in Carlentini, Italy, to provide a Power-to-Gas system.
On September 30, 2021, they signed a research memorandum of understanding to accelerate innovation around research with General Eletric, GRT Gaz, Ineris and the network of French technology universities (UTBM, UTC and UTT).
On December 21, 2021, a consortium of 13 companies, including McPhy, was selected to lead the GreenH2Atlantic project in Sines (Portugal). The French company will design and supply a 100MW “Augmented McLyzer” electrolyzer, with a production capacity of 41 tonnes H2/day.
On January 17, 2022, the startup signed a contract with Eiffage Énergie Systèmes – Clemessy to equip a site in Belfort with a 1MW electrolyzer and a 350-bar hydrogen refueling station (800kg/d) designed to supply a fleet of hydrogen-powered buses, the “Optymo” network.
On April 25, 2022, McPhy announced an agreement with Hype (which currently markets mainly hydrogen-powered cabs) in which the company subscribed to €12 million in convertible bonds and entered into a framework agreement providing for the deployment of at least 100 hydrogen stations, 50% of which would be allocated to McPhy, and 15 to 25MW of alkaline electrolyzers. A first 2MW electrolyzer and a hydrogen station have already been decided for the Paris region.

Products marketed by McPhy

Electrolyzers to produce hydrogen

McPhy boasts a leading position“in pressurized alkaline electrolysis“. It offers three ranges:

Piel, from 0.4 to 10 ^Nm3/h and from 1 to 8 bar
McLyzer
- “Small line: 20 ^Nm3/h at 30 bar
- McLyzer 100-30, ^100Nm3/h at 30 bar, with a power rating of 0.5MW
- McLyzer 200-30, ^200Nm3/h at 30 bar, with an output of 1MW
- McLyzer 400-30, ^400Nm3/h at 30 bar, with an output of 2MW
- McLyzer 800-30, ^800Nm3/h at 30 bar, with an output of 4MW. This is the core module of the Augmented McLyzer
Augmented McLyzer
- This is a bespoke range designed for large-scale installations in industry, such as refineries, chemicals, iron and steel, etc.

According to McPhy, “about 5.5 kWh are needed to produce 1m3 of gas”. At another time, they give the figure of 4.5kWh/Nm3 (for the Mclyzer small line). Dihydrogen has a density of 0.08988g/L under normal conditions of temperature and pressure. So we’d have 4.5kWh for 89.88gH2, or 50.06kWh/kgH2 (and 61.19kWh/kgH2 for 5.5kWh/Nm3). It’s interesting to look at the efficiency of their technology.

Hydrogen recharging stations

Their hydrogen stations are typically 10m² on the ground, “plug&play” (= easy to install) and can be combined with electrolyzers.

The starter kit: the McFilling 20-350 station, delivering 20kgH2/day at 350bars,
Large hydrogen stations
- McFilling 350: 200 to over 1300kgH2/day at 350bars, delivering over 100kg in an hour.
- McFilling 700: 200 to 800kgH2/day at 700bars, delivering over 100kg in three hours.
- McFilling Dual Pressure: 200 to 800 kgH2/day at 350 and 700 bars, delivering over 100kg in three hours.
Augmented McFilling stations for heavy-duty transport, from 2 tonnes of hydrogen per day.