Europe has long imported nearly all of its helium and most of its critical industrial gases from distant supply chains. Until the launch of the Fonts-Bouillants pilot unit, 100% of Western Europe’s helium requirements were imported, mainly from the United States, Qatar, and Algeria. That picture is starting to change, and helium and natural hydrogen exploration in Europe is gaining serious momentum.
On April 8, 2026, Metz-based 45-8 ENERGY announced that Geneva-based Ad Terra Group has become its majority shareholder. The move brings together two companies that have been building complementary capabilities across geoscience, subsurface engineering, and low-carbon resource production.
A Company Built on Subsurface Science:
Founded in 2017 by Benoît Hauville and Nicolas Pelissier, 45-8 ENERGY is dedicated to the exploration, production, and distribution of eco-responsible industrial gases, including natural hydrogen and helium. It aims to produce these rare and critical resources as close as possible to consumption areas, reducing long-distance imports and minimising the carbon footprint of the supply chain.
The company covers the full helium value chain, and its RECYCL’He solution is the first helium recovery and recycling service in Western Europe. This positions 45-8 ENERGY not just as an explorer but as a full-cycle operator, which makes the Ad Terra partnership a natural fit rather than a simple capital transaction.
What Ad Terra Brings:
Ad Terra is focused on exploration, storage, and development of energy and mineral resources, with activities spanning oil and gas transition, shallow to deep geothermal energy, energy storage, carbon capture and storage, and sustainable water resources. The group has also expanded into the lithium sector through LiCAN Resources Inc., a wholly-owned Canadian subsidiary focused on Direct Lithium Extraction in Saskatchewan.
That breadth matters here. The deal is not just about injecting capital into 45-8 ENERGY. It is about combining two organisations that already operate across geosciences, engineering, and project execution in multiple countries. Together, the press release confirms, they now have close to 100 employees across France, Switzerland, the United States, Canada, and Malaysia.
The Portfolio Takes Shape:
Ad Terra and 45-8 ENERGY are collaboratively developing a diversified portfolio that includes helium, natural hydrogen, lithium, geothermal energy, CO2, and other key subsurface resources. The geographical spread also expands significantly, with the combined entity now operating across four continents.
45-8 ENERGY is active in France, Germany, the Balkans, and the US, and holds various exploration licenses. Since 2024, it has initiated France’s and Western Europe’s first helium production in Nièvre, with additional projects in Germany in progress. The company also holds a 40% stake in the Humboldt natural hydrogen exploration project in Kansas and a 30% stake in the Fayette project in Iowa, both managed through its partnership with H2Au.
Technology and AI in Geoscience:
One specific area worth noting in the announcement is the role of artificial intelligence. The use of artificial intelligence enhances geoscience, data analysis, and operational efficiency for the combined entity. For an industry that has historically relied on slow, capital-intensive exploration cycles, applying AI to subsurface modelling and data analysis has direct implications for how quickly projects can move from exploration to production.
Ad Terra already fuses subsurface, surface, and remote sensing data, and leverages artificial intelligence to tackle complex energy challenges, so this capability comes with an established track record rather than being a stated aspiration.
Why This Matters for European Energy:
The context behind this deal is straightforward. Europe is under pressure to reduce dependence on imported critical resources. Helium is essential for semiconductors, medical imaging, and scientific research. Natural hydrogen, produced geologically rather than industrially, is a lower-carbon alternative to green hydrogen if extraction can be made commercially viable.
In Europe, investment into natural hydrogen has been more limited than in the US. Ad Terra’s entry as majority shareholder provides a strengthened financial base for the company to accelerate its existing projects and move from pilot production toward industrial-scale output.
For founders and operators in the DeepTech and energy space, this deal illustrates a broader pattern: companies focused on subsurface energy resources are increasingly partnering across disciplines rather than scaling solo. The combination of geoscience depth, operational infrastructure, and AI-assisted analysis is becoming the baseline expectation for credible players in this space.
45-8 ENERGY has built a defensible position as the first helium producer in France and Western Europe. With Ad Terra’s backing, it now has the resources and the international platform to pursue a much larger set of subsurface opportunities across multiple resource types and geographies.
