H2site

H2site, established in 2019, is a deep-tech company specializing in on-site hydrogen production through its proprietary membrane reactor technology. The company was founded by Andrés Galnares and Felipe Rebollo Gomez and originated as a spin-off from two European research centers: TECNALIA in Spain and the Eindhoven University of Technology (TUe) in the Netherlands, which had collaborated for over a decade on developing the integrated membrane reactor concept. Andrés Galnares serves as the company's CEO.

H2site's core business revolves around advanced membrane reactors and separators that produce fuel cell-purity hydrogen from various feedstocks. The technology is designed to address the significant challenge of hydrogen transportation by enabling decentralized production. Its systems can process hydrogen carriers such as ammonia, methanol, and syngas, as well as separate hydrogen from gas blends found in pipelines or geological storage like salt caverns. The technology integrates the reaction and separation of high-purity hydrogen into a single step, which enhances efficiency and reduces the system's physical footprint. The palladium-alloy membranes are highly selective to hydrogen, ensuring a purity level suitable for fuel cells and recovering up to 98% of the hydrogen.

The company serves clients across several industries, including industrial energy, mobility, and maritime sectors. For instance, its ammonia crackers can be used to decarbonize energy-intensive industries like glass and steel manufacturing, power fuel cells for electricity generation, and facilitate hydrogen refueling stations. H2site is also active in the maritime sector, developing onboard systems that crack ammonia into hydrogen to power fuel cells for auxiliary ship power, a project demonstrated on the BERTHA B supply ship. Their business model involves selling the reactors and separators, often coupled with a multi-year membrane supply agreement to guarantee hydrogen purity and quantity. The company operates a membrane manufacturing facility in Bilbao, Spain, capable of producing tens of thousands of membranes annually.

H2site has secured significant funding to scale its technology and commercial operations. The company's first funding round was in March 2020. It raised €12.5 million in a Series A round in 2022, led by Breakthrough Energy Ventures (BEV) with participation from Equinor Ventures, ENGIE New Ventures, and others. In January 2025, H2site closed a Series B funding round of €36 million, co-led by Hy24 and SC Net Zero Ventures, with continued support from previous investors. This capital is intended to scale up production to multi-tons per day reactors by 2026 and expand into new markets, including North America.

Keywords: membrane reactors, hydrogen separation, on-site hydrogen production, ammonia cracking, methanol reforming, palladium-alloy membranes, fuel cell grade hydrogen, decarbonization, hydrogen carriers, syngas conversion, maritime hydrogen, decentralized energy, green hydrogen, hydrogen infrastructure, waste to hydrogen, hydrogen transport, TECNALIA, Breakthrough Energy Ventures, Equinor Ventures, ENGIE New Ventures