With the commissioning of Hyd’Occ only weeks away, independent renewable energy producer Qair organised a site visit in Béziers, gathering stakeholders from across the hydrogen value chain, from production to end-use. Developed in partnership with the regional energy and climate agency AREC Occitanie, the unit is expected to produce up to 2,700 tonnes of renewable hydrogen annually in its initial phase.
A local infrastructure for low-carbon heavy mobility
Hyd’Occ marks the first step in an ecosystem designed to supply hydrogen for heavy-duty transport across the region. The Béziers Transport Authority, a subsidiary of the RATP Group, will operate 13 hydrogen-powered buses using this supply. Vehicle technology is provided by manufacturer Solaris, while hydrogen refuelling stations are developed by Resato. The system will become operational once production begins before the end of the year.
A project funded under a European transport corridor
The initiative is part of the “Territorial Hydrogen Ecosystems” call for projects by the French Agency for Ecological Transition (ADEME) and the “Corridor H2 Occitanie” programme, backed by the European Investment Bank and the European Union. This corridor is intended to ensure renewable hydrogen supply for heavy transport along a route spanning from the Iberian Peninsula to Northern Europe. The Béziers station will be one of the first refuelling points in the network.
Power increase scheduled by 2026
The first phase of the plant will have a capacity of 20 megawatts (MW), equating to 2,700 tonnes of renewable hydrogen per year. A second phase will double that to 40 MW and increase annual production to 5,400 tonnes. According to project estimates, the first phase alone could avoid 27,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions annually. A second hydrogen station is also planned for 2025 to expand regional coverage.
A complete ecosystem for the hydrogen value chain
Local officials, including Béziers Mayor Robert Ménard, representatives from the Occitanie Region, and several industry partners took part in the Qair-organised visit. Representatives from Pulse Eden Innovosud, a local business incubator, and regional transport operators also attended. The event aimed to ensure coordination across the value chain—producers, distributors, manufacturers, and end users—ahead of the launch.
“Within weeks, Hyd’Occ will produce the hydrogen that Béziers buses will use to transport residents in a low-carbon way,” said Guirec Dufour, Managing Director of Qair France.
