The inauguration ceremony, held on 29 September during European Hydrogen Week, was attended by Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever, Wopke Hoekstra, European Commissioner for Climate, Net Zero, and Clean Growth, and Matthias Langemeyer, Head of Department for Green Research and Innovation at CINEA (European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency).
The facility increases the company’s capacity to manufacture ZIRFON membranes, a component in alkaline water electrolysers. Designed with modular scalability, the site is intended to meet rising demand as green hydrogen moves from pilot projects to commercial deployment. The expansion will support sectors such as steel and chemical production, heavy-duty transport, shipping, and renewable energy storage. Backed by an €11 million grant from the EU’s Innovation Fund, the project contributes to Europe’s industrial strategy for the energy transition.
Pascal Juéry, CEO of Agfa, said: “The opening of our new ZIRFON plant is a milestone for Agfa and for the wider hydrogen ecosystem. We are determined to make green hydrogen an industrial reality, and this facility strengthens Agfa’s role as a key enabler of Europe’s net-zero ambitions and the global push for a sustainable energy future. As the Green Hydrogen Solutions business is one of Agfa’s major growth engines, today also marks an important step in the transformation of our company.”
Wopke Hoekstra added: “The GIGA-SCALES project leads the way in innovation and climate action. By advancing cutting-edge membrane technology, it paves the path for sustainable hydrogen production in Europe. This initiative not only fights climate change but also accelerates Europe’s energy independence, industrial decarbonisation, and global competitiveness. Backed by the Innovation Fund, GIGA-SCALES proves what focused innovation can achieve.”
Bart De Wever said: “Agfa-Gevaert has a proud tradition of reinvention. Again and again, it has shown the courage to adapt, to move forward, to be ready for the next economic age. With this investment in a new production hall, the company is not only securing its own future — it is securing the sustainable future of our energy and our industries. Green hydrogen is crucial for decarbonising logistics and heavy industry, where full electrification is difficult to achieve and fossil fuels still dominate. It allows us to seek solutions for a carbon-neutral economy without taboos.”
