Green hydrogen producer Lhyfe has entered into a partnership with industrial gases specialist Messer by signing a 10-year renewable hydrogen supply agreement and forming an investment alliance aimed at accelerating industrial decarbonisation across Europe.
As part of the transaction, Messer will acquire a 30 percent stake in the company holding four hydrogen production sites operated by Lhyfe in France and Germany. The agreement also establishes Messer as a long-term customer, industrial partner, and equity investor, marking Lhyfe’s first capital rotation while strengthening its financial profile and validating the value of its hydrogen production assets.
The long-term supply contract covers three production sites in France and one in Germany. Messer has committed to purchasing a minimum renewable hydrogen volume starting in 2026, with deliveries expected to increase gradually to several hundred tonnes per year. Beyond the minimum commitment, Messer intends to purchase half of the hydrogen output from the three French production sites, securing long-term access to renewable and RFNBO-certified hydrogen for industrial customers.
The partnership combines Messer’s expertise in hydrogen technologies, logistics, gas handling, multi-gas distribution, safety, and industrial operations with Lhyfe’s renewable hydrogen production capabilities. The companies expect the collaboration to improve operational performance, commercial expansion, and supply chain efficiency while reducing transport-related emissions through geographically diversified production facilities.
For Lhyfe, the agreement provides greater revenue visibility through recurring long-term cash flows, supported by minimum purchase commitments and the sale of a 30 percent equity stake in the four-site holding company. Despite the investment, Lhyfe will continue to fully consolidate the business, retain majority ownership, and remain the exclusive operator responsible for operating and management services at the production sites.
Completion of the transaction is expected in the coming months, subject to lender approvals under existing financing agreements.
Messer, founded in 1898, is the world’s largest privately owned specialist in industrial, medical, electronic, and specialty gases. The company employs more than 12,000 people globally and generated approximately €4.5 billion in consolidated sales during 2025.
Lhyfe has been expanding Europe’s renewable hydrogen ecosystem rapidly. The company inaugurated the world’s first industrial-scale green hydrogen production plant connected to a wind farm in 2021, followed by the world’s first offshore green hydrogen production pilot platform in 2022. Since then, it has commissioned four additional production sites across Europe, with more facilities under construction or expansion. In September 2025, Lhyfe became Europe’s largest producer of bulk RFNBO hydrogen produced through water electrolysis.
BABURAJAN KIZHAKEDATH