EODev, a name synonymous with off grid clean power generation

You may have seen images of Energy Observer, the vessel which circumnavigated the world from 2017 in complete energy autonomy and stopped over in Cape Town, South Africa, in 2023. While the adventure of this unique catamaran laboratory is now over, the objective of being able to supply clean power anywhere in the world, using hydrogen to store energy and fuel cells to generate electricity, has become a very concrete reality thanks to EODev, an international leader in hydrogen-based power generation solutions.

 

Structuring a supporting ecosystem

EODev, an innovative greentech industrial company, was launched in 2019, with the aim of accelerating the energy transition thanks to sustainable, reliable and affordable solutions using hydrogen. To grow the start-up, initial Energy Observer partners such as leading hotel chain Accor and Toyota Motor Europe became investors, then joined by the likes of world logistics leaders CMA-CGM, Caterpillar dealer Monnoyeur Group and some venture capitalists such as TILT partners, among others. These investors funded the project in several phases, with the total amount raised being around €100M, which allowed EODev to quickly structure professional governance, R&D, engineering, production and sales, and its own manufacturing plant. 

EODev is now a world leader in the design, industrialization of zero-emission power generation systems and off-grid decarbonized energy supply thanks to its 110kVA GEH2® hydrogen fuel cell unit for stationary and mobile operations, intended to replace diesel gensets (a market worth $40 billion per year), and REXH2® for marine applications. The young company is established in 27 countries across all continents, thanks to its distributorship, equipment rental and franchise networks. 

Africa’s clean energy objectives

The African market represents an opportunity for EODev and regional operators aiming to provide customers with clean energy alternatives to diesel. The continent is blessed with some of the world’s best solar and wind potential, much of which is currently undeveloped. The IEA (International Energy Agency) estimates that Africa has 60 percent of the world’s solar resources, but so far accounts for only 1 percent of global solar generation capacity. Many African countries are thus keen on developing the continent’s potential for the supply of green hydrogen: South Africa, for example, aims to provide up to 4% of all future green hydrogen worldwide, and the establishment in 2022 of the Africa Green Hydrogen Alliance between Egypt, Kenya, Mauritania, Morocco, Namibia and South Africa (six of the key countries leading green hydrogen efforts on the continent) was coupled with the launch of the European Union’s REPowerEU Plan. 

The continent is also facing a massive energy gap. Approximately 600 million Africans currently lack access to electricity. By harnessing renewable energy resources for green hydrogen production, countries across the continent could fuel population and economic growth in an environmentally sustainable manner; which is also why it is important to develop green hydrogen usage through alternative solutions such as EODev’s GEH2® power generator.

In Africa, EODev already has presence in Algeria, Tunisia and Nigeria, and looks forward to developing its presence further in many other African countries in collaboration with local players, entrepreneurs, rental companies, developers and energy providers.

Smart products

The GEH2® uses a PEM fuel cell, its beating heart, supplied by Toyota Motor Europe, and its own lithium iron phosphate battery (LiFePO4), reducing noise emissions and providing an instant start. This combination, relying on Toyota’s proven fuel cell technology developed over the past 20 years, enables the GEH2® to deliver up to 110kVA without requiring any minimum load. Engineered to be easy to use, the GEH2® is equipped with rental-driven electrical outlets, standardized frequency and voltage levels, as well as remote monitoring and data acquisition. Aimed at providing virtually any energy ecosystem with instantaneous power, the GEH2® offers a silent solution without emissions of CO2, HC, NOx, or fine particles. It emits only warm water and filtered air, and is highly reliable since it does not incorporate any mechanical parts that wear out or may break down. With its plug-and-play approach, the GEH2® was developed to easily integrate into all industries and environments, and EODev’s range of solutions will soon be complemented with a BESS (Battery Energy Storage Systems) in order to bring additional flexibility in overall clean power supply.

Designed to meet environmental challenges without sacrificing efficiency, the GEH2® is suitable for all sites and sectors of activity, whether prospective customers need energy autonomy, are looking for a backup solution, or operate in a confined site or regulated zero-emissions zones. GEH2s® have been used for a wide range of power supply needs: for large scale events such as outdoor concerts, for fan zones at sports events like F1 Grand Prix and Le Mans endurance race, to secure power supply for mobile telecommunications or when shooting films for Netflix, for temporary electricity supply during grid network maintenance operations, to recharge electric vehicles and equipment, and of course for industrial activities on remote construction and mining sites in many countries across Europe and the Middle-East, from cold countries such as Norway to hot ones such as Saudi Arabia, as well as in North America and all the way to Australia and New Zealand. With now over 250 units sold that operate in 20 countries, the GEH2® has therefore proven its efficiency and benefits from excellent customer feedback, including strong references such as Air Liquide, Engie or Bouygues.

Smart development

The rapid internationalization of EODev is another indicator of the company’s astute nature, through the development of a network of distributors and franchisees. As its products include heavy parts and weigh up to 3.5 tons, only the key components are manufactured and exported from France for distant markets, with the local partner being responsible for assembling them with other elements that are manufactured on site.

Australia thus quickly became EODev’s first offshore market, due to its significant mining industry and a policy of massive support for its decarbonization objectives. The relationships established allowed the signing of the first GEH2® assembly contract in the province of Victoria in October 2023, undertaken under the auspices of Toyota Australia and EODev’s distributor Blue Diamond Machinery, with the support of worldwide leader in mining services Thiess group. Toyota Australia thus aims for a production of around a hundred units per year, which will allow EODev to quickly expand into the Asia Pacific region. Meanwhile, development projects abound in the rest of the world, with the possibility to establish a manufacturing plant in North America, further distribution in South America and Africa, and a widening of the product line with higher capacity electro-hydrogen power generators.

A wide range of applications

The high-power hydrogen fuel cell gensets developed and assembled in France by EODev will be mainly intended to offer the construction, mining, events, transport, logistics and public electricity service markets zero-emission electricity in containerized and turnkey, easy to implement and simple to use solutions for off-grid operations. Adapted to a wider range of needs, with the possibility of operating several fuel cells simultaneously to reach very high power, this new range will also minimize the associated Capex, thanks to a lifespan exceeding 30,000 hours — an important competitiveness asset compared to existing diesel-operated solutions. In addition, these could also, like the original GEH2®, be coupled with BESS solutions, and even operated as hybrid systems synchronized with diesel gensets to initiate a progressive shift to fully clean power supply solutions. EODev will thus be able to meet the needs of a wider number of end users in telecommunications, public institutions, hospitality, retail and agriculture, and for critical installations (industrial sites, ports and airports, hospitals, data centers, etc.). 

Last but not least, beyond these “traditional” segments that usually operate diesel gensets, hydrogen powered generators can offer a clean alternative solution for the electric vehicles (EV) charging market, including construction equipment, and for ships, particularly merchant navy fleets. And they make sense when developing peak-shaving plants that are increasingly essential in the context of limited energy resources. Using solutions such as EODev’s GEH2® to replace diesel generators that, unfortunately, remain to this day the standard power supply solution on most construction and mining sites, is therefore both a pioneering approach and a demonstration that environmentally-friendly alternatives are already available, and reliable.