The station, set to be operational by the end of the year, marks a significant step toward the decarbonisation of heavy transport in Europe. This project is a key milestone in Green Hydrogen Infrastructure, reinforcing Qair’s commitment to sustainable energy solutions. It also echoes the Group’s similar initiatives developed in Iceland, highlighting the company’s culture of cross-regional expertise to drive continuous improvement and innovation across its projects.
A Regional and European Cornerstone for Renewable Hydrogen
Strategically located in the Méridienne Economic Activity Zone in Béziers, in the south of France, the station will provide up to 600 kg of renewable hydrogen per day. It will primarily serve the local public bus fleet and will be supplied by Hyd’Occ, France’s largest renewable hydrogen production unit, currently under construction by Qair in Port-La Nouvelle.
Accelerating Hydrogen Mobility Across Europe
The Béziers station is a critical node of the “Corridor H2,” an initiative led by the Occitanie Region, which is backed by the European Investment Bank and the European Union via the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF). This initiative aims to decarbonize European freight transport at the southern end of the North Sea to Mediterranean Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T) corridor, utilizing hydrogen sourced from renewable energy.
The Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T) is a European Union policy focused on planning and developing a seamless, efficient, and high-quality multimodal transport network throughout the EU.
Building a Regional Green Hydrogen Ecosystem
Coupled with its massive production unit Hyd’Occ, Béziers’ refuelling station constitutes a fully integrated Green Hydrogen Infrastructure, covering production, transportation, and distribution.
With a first 20 MW phase, Hyd’Occ will generate 2,700 tonnes of renewable hydrogen annually by the end of 2025, avoiding 27,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions each year. A second phase will expand capacity to 40 MW, doubling production to 5,400 tonnes per year.
Expanding Hydrogen Infrastructure in Iceland
Beyond this French initiative, Qair is also advancing a Green Hydrogen Infrastructure project in Iceland. The Blær project, initiated with the purchase of two hydrogen refuelling stations for trucks and passenger vehicles in the greater Reykjavik area, will see the development of four more stations in Reykjavik, Akureyri, Egilsstaðir, and Freysnes over the next three years. With this purchase, Qair now owns the world’s first commercial hydrogen refueling station, built in 2003, gaining the experience of a pioneering HRS operator.
To support this growing network, Qair is developing a 2 MW hydrogen electrolysis plant in Grundartangi, a key industrial hub in Iceland, as part of a larger-scale electrolysis initiative.
