A ten-year contract covering four sites in France and Germany
The supply contract covers three of Lhyfe’s sites in France and one site in Germany. Messer commits from 2026 to a minimum purchase volume, expected to gradually increase to several hundred tonnes per year, according to terms communicated by both parties. Beyond this minimum commitment, Messer targets the purchase of 50% of production from the three French sites involved. The hydrogen delivered will include RFNBO-certified hydrogen (renewable fuel of non-biological origin), a European certification category applicable to industrial and mobility end uses. This structuring of long-term supply agreements reflects the growing maturity of renewable hydrogen supply chains in Europe, where technological advances such as ammonia-to-hydrogen cracking developed by players such as Höegh Evi are opening new avenues for green molecule distribution.
In parallel, Messer acquires 30% of the capital of the legal entity holding these four assets. The stake validates, according to Lhyfe, the industrial quality of the sites and the value creation potential of its portfolio. Lhyfe states it will continue to consolidate this company through full integration, thereby retaining operational control over all sites.
Complementary expertise at the core of the partnership
The partnership is built on complementary expertise acknowledged by both companies. Messer brings several decades of experience in hydrogen technologies, logistics, packaging and multi-gas distribution, as well as an established industrial client base. Lhyfe contributes its capabilities in the development, financing, construction and operation of renewable hydrogen production sites. This combination aims to strengthen the operational performance and commercial ramp-up of the four sites involved, particularly in terms of safety, customer relations and distribution.
For Messer, the deal secures long-term access to renewable hydrogen produced in Europe. Integrating this hydrogen into its existing multi-gas offering would allow it to address decarbonation demand from current industrial customers and attract new ones. The company is thus aligning its historical expertise in industrial gases with the rise of low-carbon energy.
An asset development model moving into its valuation phase
For Lhyfe, this transaction illustrates its business model as a developer and operator of renewable hydrogen assets. The company claims the ability to cover the full lifecycle of an asset — permitting, financing, construction, operation — before realising value through partial capital disposals. The sale of 30% of the structure holding the four sites frees up financial resources that Lhyfe says it intends to concentrate on its most commercially advanced and secured projects.
The cash flows generated by the long-term contract and minimum purchase commitment are presented by Lhyfe as a lever for revenue visibility and recurrence. The company highlights that this partnership reflects a shared view with Messer on the medium- and long-term development potential of the renewable hydrogen market.
