HPQ Silicon Inc., a Montreal-based technology company specializing in advanced materials and next-generation processes, and its French partner Novacium SAS have signed an industrial cooperation agreement with AD-VENTA Innovative. AD-VENTA, based in Châteauneuf-sur-Isère, France, designs high-pressure hydrogen storage, regulation, and distribution systems.
This collaboration aims to advance the METAGENE™ technology developed by Novacium, which autonomously produces high-pressure green hydrogen from an aluminum–silicon fuel. The partnership will adapt an existing AD-VENTA high-pressure hydrogen dispensing station to integrate the METAGENE™ reactor, raising daily hydrogen production capacity from the previously projected 1–10 kilograms up to 20 kilograms.
“The arrival of AD-VENTA in the project, and in particular the involvement of its CEO, Mr. Jean-Luc Mussot, who is internationally recognized for his expertise in high-pressure hydrogen regulation and distribution, represents an important milestone for us,” said Jed Kraiem, Head of Novacium. “His forty years of experience, notably at COMEX, one of the most prestigious companies in hyperbaric engineering, is a major asset for successfully scaling the project.”
Under the agreement, HPQ Silicon, Novacium, and AD-VENTA began integration work in September 2025. A pilot phase is scheduled for 2026, with operational tests focusing on hydrogen production capacity for vehicle fleets, drones, and stand-alone power systems.
At full capacity, a single METAGENE™ unit producing 20 kilograms of hydrogen per day could generate the equivalent of 400 kWh via a 60% PEM fuel cell. Potential applications include inspection and mapping drones, remote communication stations, and power supply in off-grid or logistics-constrained environments. Industry stakeholders such as oil and gas operators, electric grid providers, and defense organizations have expressed interest in these capabilities.
This agreement formalizes a framework for cooperation without committing material terms and lays the groundwork for future commercial deployment of decentralized high-pressure hydrogen generator.
Source: HPQ Silicon Press Release
