In May 2025, Lhyfe has became the first French company to secure RFNBO certification for its Bouin hydrogen facility. Four months later, it has extended this status to its entire installed portfolio in France and Germany.
With Bouin, Buléon, Bessières, and Schwäbisch Gmünd now certified, the company operates 21 MW of electrolysis capacity capable of producing up to 8.3 tones of green hydrogen per day.
RFNBO (Renewable Fuels of Non-Biological Origin) certification represents the European Union’s strictest standard for renewable hydrogen under the Renewable Energy Directive III (RED III). It demands full compliance with environmental sustainability, energy traceability, and alignment with the EU Taxonomy. Certification is not a symbolic milestone: it is a prerequisite for accessing many national and EU support schemes, as well as for providing customers with regulatory assurance that purchased hydrogen is fully renewable.
Lhyfe’s achievement is significant in a market where certification bottlenecks have slowed deployment. While dozens of electrolysis projects have been announced across Europe, many remain in pre-FID stages or are not yet compliant with RFNBO rules. Lhyfe’s ability to scale and certify four operational sites gives it a regulatory and commercial advantage over peers that are still navigating compliance pathways.
Lhyfe’s facilities are deliberately dispersed across France and Germany, reflecting a strategy of regional coverage rather than single-point mega-projects. The two 5 MW sites at Buléon (Bretagne) and Bessières (Occitanie) are currently the largest certified production units in France, while Schwäbisch Gmünd in Baden-Württemberg, at 10 MW, stands as Germany’s second-largest RFNBO-certified site. This geographic distribution reduces delivery distances and strengthens the company’s ability to supply hydrogen in bulk via its fleet of nearly 70 containers, one of the most modern in Europe.
This model contrasts with centralized projects designed for pipeline integration. By prioritizing proximity to end users—whether industrial, transport, or energy storage customers—Lhyfe minimizes logistical costs while addressing immediate demand. The trade-off, however, lies in scale economics: while regional sites support market entry and customer relationships, cost parity with fossil-derived hydrogen may ultimately hinge on larger, consolidated facilities linked directly to renewable power hubs.
The certified hydrogen is already being deployed across mobility and industrial applications, with additional volumes used in testing combustion systems, salt cavern storage, mixed boilers, and construction machinery. These diverse applications reflect both market pull and a pragmatic effort to prove hydrogen’s versatility across end-use sectors.
Certification Ecosystem and Partnerships
The certification process involved external partners including Atmen, whose compliance automation platform provides high-resolution traceability; CertifHy, whose RFNBO scheme was approved by the European Commission in late 2024; and TÜV SÜD, among the first authorized certification bodies. This network underscores the emerging ecosystem of service providers needed to verify renewable hydrogen supply chains.
For end-users, RFNBO certificates function as more than marketing instruments: they are evidence required to qualify for subsidies, contracts-for-difference mechanisms, and renewable energy mandates. In this sense, Lhyfe is not only selling hydrogen but also regulatory certainty—an increasingly valuable commodity in Europe’s fragmented policy environment.
Stay updated on the latest in energy! Follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, and X for real-time news and insights. Don’t miss out on exclusive interviews and webinars—subscribe to our YouTube channel today! Join our community and be part of the conversation shaping the future of energy.
