One year after acquiring McPhy’s strategic assets, John Cockerill Hydrogen has reached a new milestone in its industrial development. In Belfort, the teams have produced the first electrolysis stack assembled on-site using innovative production line. Meanwhile, in Aspach, a new 40 MW production phase is beginning for a green hydrogen project in the Netherlands, coming on the heels of the delivery of 25 MW of electrolysers for a plant in Belgium.
These two achievements illustrate the complementary nature of John Cockerill Hydrogen’s industrial sites and its ability to support the development of the European hydrogen market.
On 8 July 2025, the Belfort Commercial Court accepted John Cockerill Hydrogen’s bid to acquire McPhy’s key assets, including the Belfort plant, innovative technologies, intellectual property, and approximately 80 employees in Europe. Since then, the company has continued to invest in expertise, industrial tools, and the development of new generations of electrolysers.
One year after this acquisition, teams at the sites in Belfort (France), Wildau (Germany), and Seraing (Belgium) reached a major milestone with the completion of the first 5 MW electrolyser manufactured and assembled in France. This milestone demonstrates the continuity of the industrial and technological expertise preserved in Belfort and the teams’ ability to continue developing this strategic technology for Europe’s energy transition.
At the same time, the Aspach and Seraing sites are continuing their industrial operations in support of John Cockerill Hydrogen’s European projects. After producing the cells for a 25 MW green hydrogen plant in Belgium, the plant is preparing to launch production this summer of eight new electrolysers—totaling 40 MW – for a project in the Netherlands.
These achievements illustrate the synergy developed between the Belfort, Aspach, and Seraing sites. While Belfort continues its technological development and assembly of future generations of electrolysers, the Aspach and Seraing plants handle, respectively, the production and assembly of equipment for projects currently being deployed in the European market. Together, these sites enable John Cockerill Hydrogen to transform innovation into concrete industrial achievements, create value from preserved expertise and technologies, and support the scaling up necessary for the development of the hydrogen sector in Europe. They thus help meet the growing decarbonisation needs of strategic industrial sectors such as chemicals, refining, and fertilizer production.
Nicolas de Coignac, CEO of John Cockerill Hydrogen, said: “When we acquired McPhy’s key assets a year ago, we made a commitment: to preserve this know-how, accelerate its industrialisation, and manufacture in Europe. With this first electrolyser produced in Belfort, we are turning our commitments into achievements. It is this ability to deliver on our promises that has been John Cockerill’s strength for over 200 years. Belfort and Aspach demonstrate that we are ready – ready technologically and ready industrially. The next challenge is now to foster a European market that lives up to its ambitions through coherent policies that, having supported the production sector, now concretely support demand and promote European technologies. Only then will we be able to sustainably strengthen Europe’s energy and industrial sovereignty.”
The completion of this first electrolyser in Belfort and the launch of new production facilities in Aspach demonstrate John Cockerill Hydrogen’s momentum. In a demanding market environment, the company is continuing its industrial development and reaffirming its position among the key players actively contributing to the growth of the European hydrogen sector.