In 2020, Bouygues Construction, through Construction Venture – its minority investment fund dedicated to start-ups, and its subsidiary, Bouygues Energies & Services, took a stake in PowiDian. By integrating low-carbon solutions, Bouygues Energies & Services has been investing in the renewable hydrogen market for several years. This market is an “essential lever to speed up energy transition” according to Caroline Mazzoleni, the Deputy Director of Hydrogen and Smart Energies. The two partners are working to provide hydrogen power generators in order to decarbonate worksites and ensure enegy autonomy on remote sites.

Born of a meeting between Jean-Marie Bourgeais, the founder of PowiDian, and Michel Lecomte, President of LMI consulting agency (acquired by PowiDian in 2021. It has a manufacturer’s code, an ID code allocated to all automobile manufacturers), PowiDian, the new subsidiary, aims to sell hydrogen-fuelled vans. What kind of system are they using? A hybrid with an electric engine to be used with a fuel cell and batteries. This should guarantee the vehicle’s dynamic performance, range and charging time compared to a conventional electric vehicle, but also provide sufficient energy to power accessories, such as a high-pressure cleaner, fitted to some vans. “Beyond hydrogen technology, we would like to include more recent electric motorisation innovations, to create more technically and financially powerful hybrid models, Jean-Marie Bourgeais says. The goal is to create a cutting-edge vehicle.

Caroline Mazzoleni explains: “We plan to market vans developed by PowiDian Mobility, and powered by renewable hydrogen produced by Bouygues Energies & Services, as part of our H2 projects based on territorial ecosystems”. These modular and scalable vehicles will meet the different needs of local authorities and companies wishing to renew their fleets with zero-emission vehicles.

At present, PowiDian and Bouygues Energies & Services are exploring development opportunities and use cases for emerging hydrogen markets.

This partnership will allow their customers to meet their decarbonisation goals and contribute to the energy transition of cities and businesses.