A consortium of four companies will develop the world’s first solar hydrogen park in Wallonia, Belgium, marking a major step forward in the commercial-scale deployment of innovative hydrogen technology. The project, scheduled to begin operations in 2026, is based on Solhyd’s solar hydrogen modules, a technology originally developed more than a decade ago at KU Leuven. The partners have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to establish a fully integrated value chain, from sunlight to industrial use of green hydrogen.
The collaboration brings together complementary expertise from different sectors. Ether Energy will act as the solar project developer and project operator, while SunBuild will design and construct the solar installation, including battery storage. Solhyd will supply and maintain the hydrogen production modules. Nippon Gases, a long-standing industrial gas supplier, will manage hydrogen post-processing, storage and distribution to end users.
The demonstration park will integrate Solhyd’s sun-powered hydrogen modules (50 kW) into a conventional solar array of approximately 2 MWp, combined with storage. The site will therefore produce both solar electricity and green hydrogen. In future projects, the proportion of Solhyd modules is expected to increase, enabling solar parks across Europe to diversify their output and supply hydrogen alongside electricity.
“This project is the first demonstration at commercially relevant scale and serves as a reference for further rollout. It’s another concrete step in our growth,” said Jan Rongé of Solhyd. “We are proving that green hydrogen can be approached in a pragmatic and scalable way. By harnessing the sun directly, we lower costs and drastically simplify the system.”
Industrial validation is a key element of the project. Nippon Gases will integrate the hydrogen into established supply chains serving sectors such as food, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, combustion processes, and semiconductor manufacturing.
“Hydrogen has always been a key part of our product portfolio,” said Johan Desmet of Nippon Gases. “This project demonstrates that we can now also offer green hydrogen, exactly what our industrial customers need.”
For Ether Energy and SunBuild, the project also suggests a new path for solar parks, particularly as the sector faces challenges such as negative electricity prices and grid congestion. Hydrogen production offers an additional commercialization opportunity.
“This project demonstrates that sunlight can be valorized differently, through green hydrogen. It opens new perspectives for investors and is crucial for the energy transition,” said Pierre de Liedekerke of Ether Energy.
“Combining solar power and hydrogen on the same site is a major technical challenge using conventional technology,” added Gilles Charlier of SunBuild. “By linking innovation with industrial know-how, we demonstrate that it is now possible.”
Th, followed by deployments across Europe and sun-rich regions worldwide. The solar hydrogen park model is positioned to create new revenue streams, reduce grid pressure, and increase the value of solar generation during periods of low or negative electricity prices.
