AIR LIQUIDE INVESTS OVER $20 MILLION IN HYDROGEN-ELECTROLYSIS FIRM

Air Liquide (Paris, France; www.airliquide.com) has acquired an 18.6% stake in the capital of the Canadian company Hydrogenics Corp. (Mississauga, Ontario; www.hydrogenics.com), a leader in electrolysis hydrogen production equipment and fuel cells. This strategic transaction, which represents an investment of $20.5 million (€18 million), enables the group to reaffirm its long-term commitment to the hydrogen energy markets and its ambition to be a major player in the supply of carbon-free hydrogen, particularly for industry and mobility markets. Convinced that hydrogen will play a key role in the energy transition, Air Liquide has been working toward the development of the hydrogen sector for several years. Air Liquide and Hydrogenics have also entered into a technology and commercial agreement to jointly develop PEM (Proton Exchange Membrane) electrolysis technologies for the rapidly growing hydrogen energy markets around the world.