McPhy Energy, specialized in low-carbon H₂ production and distribution equipment (alkaline electrolyzers and refueling stations), announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Stargate Hydrogen to accelerate cooperation in electrodes for next generation alkaline electrolyzers.

This significant milestone marks a year-long fruitful discussion. The CEO of McPhy, Jean-Baptiste Lucas, and the CEO of Stargate, Marko Virkebau, along with the CTO of Stargate, Rainer Küngas, have signed the MOU on the occasion of the visit to Paris by the Estonian Prime Minister, Kaja Kallas and the Minister of Economy and Information Technology, Tiit Riisalo, as well as a delegation of companies from the energy sector.

At the forefront of innovation, Stargate develops electrodes that are free from precious metals and use ceramic catalyst material for next-generation alkaline electrolyzers. On the other hand, McPhy is making strides in developing large-scale pressurized alkaline electrolyzers for the decarbonation of industry.

The MoU thus outlines the intent of both companies to work together on employing the ceramic technology designed by Stargate in large-scale alkaline electrolysis and also aims to improve the reliability of components of electrolysis systems. This sharing of knowledge and expertise is set to further strengthen the H₂ value chain and accelerate cooperation between the two companies. It feeds into the scale-up strategy of McPhy and Stargate, with plans for developing their industrial sites in France and Estonia.

The signing of this MoU illustrates a cross-border collaboration between France and Estonia in the Green Tech and decarbonation spaces, supported by IPCEI on H₂, to which both companies belong in the Hy2tech wave.

Jean-Baptiste Lucas, CEO of McPhy said, “This partnership with Stargate ties in perfectly with our strategy to extend our technological and industrial lead in the rapidly growing H₂ market. Sharing the same technological and industrial challenges, this cooperation allows us to cross-fertilize our expertise to sustain the development of alkaline electrolyzers.”

Marko Virkebau, CEO of Stargate said, “Our strategy consists of expanding by collaboration. We have already secured partnerships with several system integrations using our technology in their systems. Now, we are taking the next step by also partnering with the leading alkaline electrolyzer manufacturers interested in using our unique technology in their products. The partnership with McPhy will surely allow both parties to scale faster and bring down the cost of green H₂ for large-scale projects.”