Việt Nam, France eye high cooperation prospects in hydrogen development

Research and Development division in HDF Energy. — VNA/VNS Photo

PARIS — Hydrogen de France (HDF Energy), a French energy company that has been present in Việt Nam since 2022, has inaugurated its first fuel cell factory in Bordeaux of France, which is expected to lay a foundation for the launch of its “green” hydrogen factories in Việt Nam and other countries in the future.

According to Trần Khánh Việt Dũng, Director of HDF Vietnam, HDF Energy has implemented many cooperation projects with the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the Ministry of Transport, the Vietnam Railway Corporation, and the Vietnam Electricity.

The company has also engaged in the development of projects in many provinces such as Kiên Giang, Bình Thuận, and Ninh Thuận, which have great potential in developing renewable energy such as offshore and onshore wind power, or solar power, he said, adding that these are renewable energy sources to produce “green” hydrogen to serve the transportation industry.

In particular, HDF Energy has worked with the Vietnam Railway Corporation on a scheme to convert nearly 200 old diesel-fueled locomotives that have been operating for decades to using hydrogen, a clean and green energy to contribute to implementing Việt Nam’s net-zero emissions strategy by 2050 and the “green” hydrogen energy development strategy approved by the Government from early 2024, said Dũng.

He expressed his hope that HDF Energy can built its first hydrogen factories in Việt Nam soon.

HDF Energy has signed a deal with Petrovietnam Technical Services Corporation (PTSC) to develop power generation projects taking advantage of renewable energy sources using Renewstable technology and hydrogen gas sources using Hypower technology in Việt Nam and the Asia-Pacific. This is a basis for the two sides to research and implement power projects using renewable energy and hydrogen gas and develop this cooperation model for similar projects in the Asia-Pacific region.

HDF Energy is also researching and implementing other projects with Việt Nam in the field of electricity and transportation with the support of the Just Energy Transition Partnership and financial institutions, including the French Development Agency (AFD).

Mathieu Geze, HDF Energy’s Executive Director for Asia, said that his company hopes to accompany Việt Nam during the country’s carbon emission reduction process.

Chairman the Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCI) of Nouvelle Aquitaine Jean-François Clédel said that renewable energy is an area that Nouvelle Aquitaine, represented by HDF Energy, has great potential to cooperate with Việt Nam. — VNS