Earlier this month, French fuel cell startup Qairos Energies announced that it would invest approximately $23 million (€18.8 million) into a facility that will convert hemp biomass into hydrogen and methane—generation electricity for regional transit agencies and natural gas constituents for Gaz Réseau Distribution France.
All told, the investment sends a signal that hemp could play a role in alternative energy development.
The Qairos facility will be based on gasification technology, in which heat and oxygen are applied to hemp biomass, in this case, resulting in gaseous substances. The target is for Qairos to develop two tons of hydrogen and 200 cubic meters of methane per day.
“This project combines agriculture, the issue of soil quality, while serving the cause of green energy", President and Found Jean Foyer told Les Echos in December.
The company noted that hemp biomass will be sourced from northwest France, near the facility, ideally up to 1,000 hectares of the crop, according to Qairos. Work is expected to begin in the first quarter of 2021.
