New appointment at renewable hydrogen pioneer

• Hartwijk joins as Chief Operating Officer (COO) for the coordinated implementation of Hy2gen’s corporate strategy in project development as of April 2024
• Hartwijk brings 25 years of extensive experience from global organisations in the energy sector

Wiesbaden, April 2024 – Hy2gen, the global developer, financier, builder, and operator of plants for the production of renewable hydrogen and hydrogen derivatives, is very pleased to announce the appointment of Astrid Hartwijk as Chief Operating Officer. Hartwijk has over 25 years of experience with international companies in the energy sector and joins the Hy2gen team as of April 1, 2024.

“I am thrilled to join Hy2gen. I had open and very assuring conversations with the other Board members, Cyril Dufau-Sansot and Bernd Hübner, which gave me the feeling that we can work well together as a team and that I can contribute a lot at Hy2gen. The level of professionalism, what Hy2gen stands for, and the type of investors behind it; everyone is on the same mission to combat climate change by providing renewable fuels“, says Hartwijk of her new role, adding: “It’s a fantastic team here at Hy2gen. Working and discovering things together with a diverse group of enthusiastic people, that’s what I’m looking forward to the most. My task here will be to move projects from the development stages into reality with speed, focus, and sound business cases. To do that we will need to navigate the still developing regulatory landscapes, markets, and supply chain challenges.”

From initiation to the start of operations – comprehensive expertise in project development

Hartwijk has a degree in chemistry and many years of experience in project management. Her career highlights include positions at Shell as Transformation Director and Business Opportunity Manager for Offshore Facilities, where she has led energy projects from the initiation phase to the start of operations. Hartwijk is qualified with the LEAN Six Sigma Green Belt and as an Agile Coach and therefore has the expertise to introduce new work processes in an economically viable way.

Hy2gen’s CEO, Cyril Dufau-Sansot, warmly welcomed Hartwijk to the team: “With the appointment of Astrid as COO of Hy2gen AG, we are entering a new era of achievement, where our commitment to shaping the future of sustainable energy will benefit from her experience. She will give a tangible reality to our large-scale project implementation worldwide.”

Chairwoman of the Hy2gen Supervisory Board, Dana Kallasch, is delighted with the new COO: “With an impressive track record, Astrid Hartwijk brings a wealth of experience from different areas, making her an extremely versatile leader. I am convinced that she will add tremendous value to our team and our organisation as a whole and I am delighted to welcome her to Hy2gen.” 

The appointment of Hartwijk as Chief Operations Officer will support Hy2gen in its goal to produce renewable hydrogen economically on a large scale and become the market leader with this concept. She will coordinate the global implementation of the company’s strategy and thus make a key contribution to Hy2gen’s projects.

About Hy2gen

Hy2gen AG, based in Wiesbaden, Germany, globally develops, finances, builds, owns, and operates plants for the production of renewable fuels of non-biological origin (RFNBOs). The company specialises in the entire product range – from renewable hydrogen, commonly known as “green” hydrogen, to renewable ammonia and hydrogen-based e-fuels. The first plants will be built in France, Norway, Canada, Germany, and the USA. Hy2gen’s goal is to become the market leader in the production of renewable hydrogen and its derivatives for climate-neutral mobility, agriculture, and industry. 

Founded in 2017, the company’s first mover advantage is underlined by a current project pipeline in planning and construction of 1.9GW and a project pipeline of over 12GW of electrolysis capacity in development. 

In 2019, Swiss commodity trader, Trafigura, and other private investors took a position in Hy2gen’s first round financing. In early 2022, Hy2gen closed a further €200 million from French technology and engineering firm, TechnipEnergies; Quebec pension fund, CDPQ; French sustainable investment manager, Mirova; and the €2 billion Hy24 Clean Hydrogen Infrastructure Fund backed by Air Liquide, TotalEnergies, VINCI Concessions, Plug Power, Chart Industries, Baker-Hughes, and Airbus, among others. This remains one of the largest green hydrogen-focused private capital raises to date.