Haffner's Modular Units to Unlock Subsidy-Free Biofuel Projects

VITRY-LE-FRANÇOIS, FRANCE – January 27, 2026 – Haffner Energy today unveiled a new line of modular industrial units that could fundamentally reshape the financing landscape for renewable energy. The company's C-iC product line aims to solve a critical problem stalling the energy transition: making mid-sized, decentralized biofuel projects financially viable without relying on public subsidies.

By dramatically reducing capital costs and construction timelines, the factory-built units are designed to produce renewable syngas and hydrogen at costs that make them bankable for private investors, potentially unlocking a new wave of local decarbonization projects across industries and communities.

Breaking the Financing Deadlock

For years, the mid-sized renewable energy sector has been caught in a financial paradox. While large-scale wind and solar farms can achieve economies of scale, and small-scale residential solutions have their own market, projects in the middle have often struggled. Their capital expenditure (CAPEX) is too high to be attractive to private lenders without government support, but public subsidies are often insufficient, oversubscribed, or non-existent for this segment.

"Faced with very insufficient public support, medium-sized projects are caught in a chicken-and-egg paradox: due to excessive CAPEX, they remain non-financeable," explained Philippe Haffner, CEO of Haffner Energy, in a statement. "By launching the C-iC line... we are breaking this paradox."

The company claims its modular approach slashes overall project CAPEX by 30% to 40% compared to traditional on-site construction. This is achieved by shifting the complex manufacturing process to a controlled factory environment. The standardized units are then transported to the project location for a simplified assembly process. This not only cuts costs but also introduces a novel advantage: mobility. Because the units are not permanent structures, they can be subject to leasing or finance-lease agreements, assets that lenders can secure more easily, further improving project bankability.

The Technology Behind the Breakthrough

At the heart of the C-iC line is Haffner Energy's proprietary H6 biomass thermolysis technology. Unlike direct combustion, thermolysis is a high-temperature process that breaks down biomass in a low-oxygen environment to produce a versatile, energy-rich synthetic gas, or "syngas." This syngas is cleaner-burning than combusted biomass and can be used directly for industrial heat or upgraded into higher-value products.

The C-iC line comes in three standardized configurations:
* SYNOCA® C-iC: Produces syngas for industrial thermal applications, serving as a more efficient and lower-emission alternative to conventional biomass boilers.
* SYNOCA®+ C-iC: Produces a higher-purity syngas ready for conversion into biomethane or biomethanol.
* HYNOCA® C-iC: Dedicated to producing renewable hydrogen for mobility or industrial use.

The true innovation lies in the packaging. Each C-iC unit is a self-contained, pre-assembled module built in a factory. It arrives on-site ready for rapid deployment. Haffner Energy states that on-site work is limited to simple bolted connections and plug-in connectors, allowing a unit to be installed and commissioned in under two weeks. This dramatically reduces project lead times by an estimated three to four months and virtually eliminates the need for extensive and costly civil engineering work.

Furthermore, the technology is designed for flexibility. It is "biomass-agnostic," capable of processing a wide variety of local feedstocks—from agricultural waste to forestry residues—and can tolerate moisture content up to 55%, simplifying the supply chain for operators. Each unit requires approximately 3,200 tonnes of dry biomass per year.

A New Benchmark for Green Hydrogen Costs?

Perhaps the most striking claim is associated with the HYNOCA® C-iC configuration. Haffner Energy asserts it can produce renewable hydrogen at a Levelized Cost of Hydrogen (LCOH) of less than €2.34 per kilogram.

This figure stands in stark contrast to the current market for green hydrogen produced via electrolysis, which splits water using renewable electricity. Recent industry analysis from firms like BloombergNEF has shown that due to inflation and financing costs, the global average price for electrolysis-derived green hydrogen remains high, often exceeding €6.00/kg. Haffner's claimed cost undercuts even the most optimistic 2030 projections for electrolysis in many regions.

While green hydrogen from electrolysis is expected to become cheaper as the cost of renewable power and electrolyzers falls, Haffner's biomass-based pathway offers a competitive alternative today, particularly for decentralized applications not connected to massive renewable power hubs. This cost point makes it competitive not only with other green hydrogen methods but also approaches the cost of "blue" hydrogen, which is produced from natural gas with carbon capture technology and currently costs over €3.00/kg.

The company's confidence is bolstered by its operational demonstration site in Marolles, France, which was commissioned in 2025 and has been producing mobility-grade hydrogen, serving as a real-world proof-of-concept for the H6 technology.

Empowering Localized Decarbonization

Beyond the financial and technological breakthroughs, the C-iC line represents a strategic shift toward decentralized energy production. By making smaller-scale projects viable, the technology empowers local industries, agricultural cooperatives, and municipalities to take control of their energy supply and decarbonization efforts.

This model fosters local, circular economies where regional biomass waste is converted into valuable energy products. It creates local jobs and reduces reliance on volatile global energy markets and strained national grids. For an industrial facility, an on-site C-iC unit could provide a steady source of renewable heat or hydrogen, insulating it from energy price shocks and helping it meet emissions targets. For a rural community, it could turn agricultural residue into a source of revenue and clean fuel.

This approach aligns with a growing global recognition that decentralized renewable energy (DRE) is crucial for building a resilient, flexible, and sustainable energy system. By providing a practical, off-the-shelf solution, Haffner Energy is not just selling equipment; it is offering a turnkey model for local energy independence.

The company is set to launch a reservation system for the C-iC line on February 18, 2026, with the first customer units expected to be commissioned in the summer of 2027, marking a critical test for this promising technology.