HysetCo to run 20 hydrogen stations in Paris by 2024
France’s h2 venture HysetCo raised €80 million to hasten zero-emission shift among Parisian taxis, with a view to have 10,000 taxis running on hydrogen in the next three years.
HysetCo, a venture part-owned by Toyota Motor Corp and Air Liquide developing hydrogen energy, plans to operate approximately 20 hydrogen stations in the City of Paris by the end of 2024, with the first two sites being added this year to the city’s current three-station refuelling network.
The rollout is intended to supply a growing fleet of hydrogen-powered taxis in Paris, as HySetCo plans to persuade 10,000 Parisian taxi drivers to swich to zero-emission vehicles by the time the Olympic Games are held in France’s capital.
For a start, HysetCo recently acquired the long-standing Parisian taxi operator Slota Group, with over 600 diesel taxis to be transformed into zero-emission vehicles by the end of the year. HysetCo will operate Slota’s new hydrogen-powered fleet through its subsidiary Hype, the world’s largest fleet of hydrogen taxis.
HysetCo raised €80 million ($97 million) in investment to finance the acquisition of Slota and the development of the first two new hydrogen refueling stations. Leading financial partners participating in the fundraising include RGREEN INVEST, Mirova, RAISE Impact, Eiffel Investment Group; and additional support from the Agence de la transition écologique (ADEME, Agency for the energy transition), as well as the Île-de-France Region, and the Fuel Cells and Hydrogen Joint Undertaking (FCH-JU).
HysetCo also aims to promote the parallel emergence of other relevant hydrogen mobility solutions, as well as replicating this model in other regions of France, says a company’s press release.
