HPQ’s Hydrogen Push Gains French Defence Backing With Nearly €1 Million For METAGENE™

<p><br></p><p>WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW</p><p>• French Defence Funding: Novacium, Axel’One and AD-VENTA secured RAPID funding from France’s Defence Innovation Agency and Directorate General of Armaments. The grant covers the program’s maximum 80% of a €1.2 million project budget.</p><p>• Hydrogen Where It Is Needed: METAGENE™ is designed to generate hydrogen at the point of use. The approach involves delivering solid metallic fuel to a location and reacting it with water, potentially reducing reliance on deliveries of hydrogen gas.</p><p>• Cost Potential: HPQ reports an estimated raw material cost of approximately €20–30 per kilogram of hydrogen produced on site. Total operating costs and commercial pricing remain to be established.</p><p>• Simpler Fuel Logistics: According to the release, the fuel in solid bulk form is inert and not classified as hazardous material. This simplifies fuel transportation and storage, although the hydrogen station itself still involves high-pressure gas systems.</p><p>• Multiple Target Applications: Potential uses include inspection and surveillance drones, remote industrial sites, communication stations, mobility and military field operations. The project will develop and test the station for real-world use.</p><p>STRATEGIC IMPLICATIONS</p><p>The opportunity starts with the hydrogen supply chain. Making hydrogen is only part of supplying it to a customer. Moving, storing and dispensing it can add costs and require specialized equipment, particularly when the customer is far from the production site.</p><p>In the interview, CEO Bernard Tourillon explains why Novacium is pursuing a different approach: transport solid fuel and generate hydrogen close to where it will be used. Management sees potential advantages for remote sites and field operations where regular hydrogen deliveries are difficult or expensive. Those advantages will depend on the completed system’s performance and the alternatives available at each location.</p><p>The hydrogen-producing reaction generates no greenhouse gases and leaves an inert solid by-product. This describes the reaction itself, rather than the emissions associated with making and transporting the fuel. Tourillon also discusses a potential route for returning the by-product to the aluminum value chain.</p><p>Each consortium member has a defined role. Novacium develops the metallic fuel and hydrogen reactor and leads the project. AD-VENTA supplies expertise in hydrogen compression and dispensing. A