Industry typology
Exploration
Production and recycling of eco-responsible industrial gases
Product typology
Natural helium and hydrogen
Groups
Certifications
Annual revenues
Company Headcount
32
APE
09.90Z
A pioneer in Europe, 45-8 ENERGY is dedicated to the exploration and production of eco-responsible, strategic and locally-valued industrial gases: helium and natural hydrogen, as well as the resources that can be associated with them.
The advent of this sector is made possible by the development of a strong pioneering geological approach and technological innovations that 45-8 ENERGY achieves in collaboration with academic and industrial partners.
45-8 ENERGY has established itself on the European helium and natural hydrogen market with projects in several European countries.
- In France, the company operates two exclusive research permits (PER) for helium and related resources, respectively in Nièvre and Doubs, one of which will enter pilot production in September 2024.
- Two other projects dedicated to natural hydrogen, carried out in partnership with Storengy, are also being examined by the authorities.
- The company is continuing its international expansion with a helium exploration license in Germany as well as two other exploration projects currently under investigation in Europe.
- 45-8 ENERGY is also interested in the United States in order to understand the specificities of the geological system of natural hydrogen.
Its activities have been praised on numerous occasions, including the GreenTech Innovation label of the Ministry of Ecological Transition or the “Scale-up 2022 of the Grand Est region” distinction by EY. Its activities relating to natural hydrogen have also enabled it to be one of the first winners of the H40 Index, created by MEDEF International and France Hydrogène, which lists the most promising French start-ups and scale-ups in low-carbon hydrogen.
Several R&D projects have also been labeled by the MATERALIA and AVENIA competitiveness clusters and some are supported by the French Government as well as the Grand-Est and Nouvelle Aquitaine regions through development subsidies (Plan de Relance, France Relance, PIA4).
The deployment of these activities and projects is possible thanks to a multidisciplinary team composed of 32 engineers and executives. 45-8 ENERGY was also able to accelerate its deployment thanks to three fundraising rounds carried out in May 2020 (€1.3M), October 2021 (€4.9M) and March 2023 (20M€).
Our exploration projects
45-8 ENERGY is the operator of several exploration licenses in Europe, namely:
- 2 licenses for helium in France (Nièvre and Doubs)
- 2 licenses for natural hydrogen in France, in partnership with Storengy (subsidiary of ENGIE) in Nouvelle-Aquitaine (Pyrénées-Atlantiques and Les Landes)
- 2 licenses for helium in Germany (Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and Brandenburg)
- 1 license for natural hydrogen in Kosovo
Beyond these projects in Europe, 45-8 ENERGY places particular importance on knowledge and understanding of the geological systems of the gases sought. Natural hydrogen remains a geological curiosity at present. By partnering with strategic and expert partners, notably the company H2Au, 45-8 ENERGY is expanding in the United States with two initial natural hydrogen exploration projects.
Our production projects
- Fonts-Bouillants/PROMET-Hé: our pilot helium production unit, a first in Western Europe and a world first from a technological point of view
Our first pilot production unit is located in Nièvre, in the commune of Saint-Parize-le-Châtel. Inaugurated in September 2024, this pilot production unit marks the start of helium production on European soil (until then 100% of Western Europe's helium requirements were imported mainly from the United States, Qatar and Algeria).
Our helium recycling projects
- RECYCL'He, the mobile helium recycling unit in Western Europe that enables the emergence of a circular economy of a critical resource. RECYCL'He aims to recover degraded helium from helium-consuming industries in order to purify it and put it back on the market.
- Presentation video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nEgwLiCFZfI&ab_channel=45-8ENERGY
