World's first hydrogen solar farm to open in Namur in 2026
The world’s first hydrogen solar park is set to open near Namur next year. As well as generating electricity from solar panels, the site will produce hydrogen using so-called hydrogen panels. On Wednesday, four companies formalised their cooperation on the project.
The technology that allows hydrogen to be produced from nothing more than sunlight and moisture in the air was developed at KU Leuven more than a decade ago. The Leuven start-up Solhyd, founded by researchers involved in that work, has since transformed the concept into a working hydrogen panel.
Each panel contains cylinders with materials that extract water vapour from the air and split it into hydrogen and oxygen using a membrane. The hydrogen is collected, while the oxygen is released back into the atmosphere. The process is entirely free from fossil fuels and requires no rare materials or conventional electrolysers, making it a fully "green" technology.
World first in Namur
The hydrogen solar park near Namur marks the first commercial-scale deployment of the technology. It will initially have a capacity of 50 kilowatts, with plans to expand to 2 megawatts in the coming years. Commissioning is expected in 2026.
Under the partnership, Solhyd will supply and maintain the hydrogen panels, while Nippon Gases will capture and store the hydrogen. Ether Energy will act as project owner and operator, and SunBuild will install the solar panels and battery systems. The cooperation agreement was signed on Wednesday at TRANSfarm in Bierbeek, where Solhyd is based.
"If we want to reach our climate goals, greening hydrogen production is essential"
The hydrogen produced will be marketed primarily to industrial clients, such as those in the steel, aviation and shipping sectors. "These are the most logical applications," explained Jan Rongé, co-founder and CEO of Solhyd. "For households, hydrogen is too complex. Heating and transport can be made more sustainable through electrification."
Currently, around 2 per cent of global CO2 emissions come from hydrogen production, which typically relies on fossil fuels. "That may not sound like much, but it’s equivalent to the emissions of the entire aviation sector," Rongé said. "If we want to reach our climate goals, greening hydrogen production is essential."
#FlandersNewsService | Solhyd hydrogen panels. PHOTO © SOLHYD
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