Yesterday, the Commercial Court of Belfort examined offers from three candidates seeking to acquire the assets of McPhy. A decision is expected on 8 July.
Is there light at the end of the tunnel for McPhy? The company, which was placed in receivership on 4 June, cannot be saved in its current form. However, the acquisition of its assets could allow operations to continue — particularly the production of electrolysers, which are essential for generating green hydrogen.
The local news outlet Le Trois revealed the identities of the three bidders. The first is John Cockerill. The Belgian company, which is also experiencing financial difficulties, had already submitted an offer for a partial acquisition during McPhy’s conciliation proceedings, initiated on 10 June.
The other contenders are Hynamics — an EDF subsidiary that knows McPhy well and has already worked with the company on hydrogen stations — and Atawey, a firm based in Savoie which previously acquired McPhy’s hydrogen station business.
The key issue is the future of the gigafactory in Fessenheim, near Belfort — an emblematic site that received state funding as part of the IPCEI (Important Projects of Common European Interest) initiative.
According to MoDem MEP Christophe Grudler, quoted by Le Trois, the matter is being closely followed by the Élysée and the Ministry for the Economy.
“Among the offers submitted, there appears to be potential to ensure the long-term viability of the Belfort-Fontaine site, while preserving as many jobs as possible — despite the current uncertainty surrounding the hydrogen market’s early stages,” he said.
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