KEY POINTS
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French defence agencies are funding the Metagene project with €1.2-million.
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The technology produces hydrogen from aluminium and silicon without electricity.
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Applications include defence systems, off-grid industries and clean mobility.
A consortium of three French companies has secured €1.2-million in funding to develop a green hydrogen production system that operates without electricity and could serve military and civilian applications.
The Metagene project is led by Novacium, a company specialising in hydrogen productivity solutions, alongside Axel’One, an open innovation platform focused on chemistry, and AD-VENTA, a gas engineering company.
The funding comes from France’s Defence Innovation Agency and the Directorate General of Armaments under the RAPID programme, which supports innovations with both civilian and military applications.
The 30-month project began on September 1 and aims to develop and validate a self-contained, high-pressure hydrogen production station using a solid metallic fuel.
Technology produces hydrogen without electricity
The Metagene system uses a patented process to generate hydrogen from a solid fuel made from aluminium and silicon. When the material comes into contact with water in the presence of an activator, it releases hydrogen.
Unlike conventional electrolysis, which uses electricity to split water into hydrogen and oxygen, the process does not require an external electricity supply. It also generates no greenhouse gas emissions during the reaction and produces an inert solid by-product.
The metallic fuel is considered inert in its solid form and is not classified as hazardous material, potentially simplifying its transportation and storage.
The technology has an energy density of approximately 1.25 cubic metres of hydrogen per kilogram of fuel, offering an alternative to conventional methods of hydrogen production and distribution.
Funding to support high-pressure production station
The project has a budget of €1.2-million and receives funding at the maximum subsidy rate of 80% available under the RAPID programme. The programme supports only a limited number of projects annually because of its stringent selection requirements.
The funding will support the development and validation of a hydrogen station that combines Novacium’s reactor with AD-VENTA’s high-pressure compression and dispensing equipment.
The companies have already established partnerships to advance the technology. In April 2025, Novacium signed a memorandum of understanding with recycled aluminium producer GLD Alloys to secure supplies of low-carbon aluminium for the metallic fuel.
In December 2025, Novacium and AD-VENTA signed an industrial cooperation agreement covering the integration of the Metagene reactor into a high-pressure hydrogen dispensing station designed to supply up to 20 kilograms of hydrogen daily.
Novacium chief operating officer and co-founder Dr Jed Kraiem said the consortium brought together the expertise needed to move the technology from laboratory development to an operational demonstration system.
Three companies bring complementary expertise
Each partner has a distinct role in developing the system.
Novacium leads the project and is responsible for producing the metallic fuel and developing the hydrogen-generation reactor. AD-VENTA will adapt its compression and dispensing station to accommodate the reactor, while Axel’One will provide gas analysis, characterisation, reactor expertise and hydrogen purification capabilities.
AD-VENTA CEO and president Jean-Luc Mussot said the technology was particularly suitable for decentralised hydrogen production in remote locations.
He added that the French funding would allow the partners to integrate the reactor into AD-VENTA’s dispensing system and assess its performance under real-world conditions.
Technology targets growing hydrogen market
The project is being developed amid expectations that the global green hydrogen market could reach $500-billion by 2030. The hydrogen mobility market alone is estimated at approximately €25-billion by that year, while autonomous energy systems for defence applications could represent a market worth between €5-billion and €10-billion.
Potential military uses include drones, vehicles and remote bases that require reliable energy supplies without access to conventional infrastructure.
Civilian applications could include off-grid industrial facilities, clean mobility, communication stations and surveillance systems.
Producing hydrogen at the point of use could also reduce the need to transport and store pressurised hydrogen, a process that can cost more than €50 per kilogram.
The project partners estimate that the raw materials used in the metallic fuel could cost approximately €20 to €30 per kilogram of hydrogen produced on site.
If the system proves commercially viable, it could offer industries and defence operators an alternative for supplying hydrogen in locations where electricity, transport infrastructure and conventional storage facilities are limited.
