AIR LIQUIDE FRANCE INDUSTRIE

Their core work

Air Liquide France Industrie is the industrial gas division of the Air Liquide Group, one of the world's largest suppliers of hydrogen, oxygen, and other industrial gases. In H2020, they contribute hydrogen supply infrastructure and refueling expertise to fuel cell vehicle deployment projects across Europe. Their role centers on enabling the practical rollout of hydrogen mobility — from passenger fleets to heavy-duty trucks and port logistics — by providing the gas supply chain that makes zero-emission transport viable.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

Their early H2020 work (2016-2017) focused on passenger-scale hydrogen mobility: deploying fuel cell vehicle fleets, building grid balancing capabilities, and exploring energy storage applications. From 2019 onward, the focus shifted decisively toward heavy-duty transport and industrial logistics — hydrogen trucks and port decarbonization. This mirrors the broader industry trend where hydrogen mobility moved from proving the concept with cars to tackling the harder, higher-impact segments like freight and shipping.

Moving from passenger vehicles toward industrial-scale hydrogen applications in freight, ports, and heavy transport — where hydrogen has fewer battery-electric competitors.

How they like to work

Always a participant, never a coordinator — consistent with their role as a major industrial gas supplier contributing specific infrastructure and supply chain capabilities to large demonstration projects. They work in large consortia (133 unique partners across 4 projects), which means they are comfortable in complex multi-partner environments but serve as a specialized contributor rather than a project driver. For potential partners, this signals a reliable, low-friction collaborator who brings industrial-scale resources without competing for leadership.

Extensive European network with 133 unique consortium partners across 13 countries, built through large-scale hydrogen mobility demonstration projects. Their reach spans the major hydrogen mobility ecosystems in Western and Northern Europe.

What sets them apart

As part of the Air Liquide Group, they bring something most project partners cannot: actual industrial-scale hydrogen production and distribution capacity. While many H2020 participants research hydrogen technologies, Air Liquide France Industrie operates the real-world gas supply infrastructure that turns demonstration projects into deployable solutions. For consortium builders, they are the partner who ensures hydrogen is physically available where and when it's needed.

Highlights from their portfolio

• H2Haul
  Their largest funded project (EUR 101,698), targeting the high-impact challenge of zero-emission heavy-duty trucks — a sector where hydrogen has the strongest long-term case over batteries.
• ZEFER
  Focused specifically on fleet-scale zero-emission vehicle rollout across European cities, directly demonstrating commercial viability of hydrogen fuel cell cars.
• MAGPIE
  Represents a strategic expansion beyond road transport into port logistics and multimodal hubs, signaling diversification of their hydrogen applications.