January 20, 2026 - Written by
Merkur
Web team
H55 Calls on Merkur for New Plant in Quebec
In a world where electrification and innovation are transforming aviation, the collaboration between H55 and Merkur is a perfect example.
Based in Switzerland, H55 is the technology company behind the Solar Impulse project, the first electric aircraft to circumnavigate the globe. With more than 20 years' experience in the design, production, integration and test flights of five all-electric aircrafts, the H55 team is the expert in meeting the complex challenges of aircraft certification and integration.
It all began unexpectedly at the Aéromart trade show in Montreal in 2023, when H55 crossed paths with Merkur. This fortuitous moment marked the beginning of a key collaboration, enabling H55 to be supported by Merkur in setting up its North American subsidiary with a brand-new aircraft battery factory in Quebec.
Merkur was able to distinguish itself with H55 thanks to its strategic approach to plant design, dimensioning and layout. Find out more about this project and some of the highlights of our collaboration!
LEARN MORE: Industrial Project Management
More concretely, what does the project involve?
Merkur had the privilege of supporting H55 in the development of their first aircraft battery plant in North America. This project is part of a context of innovation and increasing electrification of aviation, aimed at meeting the decarbonization needs of civil aviation with sustainable, high-performance and economically attractive solutions.
Our mission: Why do we do it?
Our mission is to provide expertise in equipment design, automation and plant layout, tailored to the specific needs of H55. Our experience in industrial project management and our strategic approach have positioned us as an ideal partner for this ambitious initiative.
Since July 2023, some fifteen Merkur experts have been involved in the project, forming a multi-disciplinary team:
- Expertise in manufacturing projects, automation and equipment
- Industrial Engineering and Operational Excellence Team
- Building services team
H55 est fière de s’implanter à l’aéroport de St-Hubert pour desservir le marché Nord-Américain de l’électrification de l’aviation. L’apport de Merkur a été un gage de succès dans ce projet par une excellente intégration avec nos équipes internes. Merkur a joué un rôle clé dans la phase de conception, sélection et suivi de fournisseurs clés, gestion sur place de l’installation d’équipements autant pour la ligne de production que le bâtiment.
Etienne Ferland
General Manager
H55 Canada
Project Milestone
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Plant layout : We designed a scalable and flexible plant, capable of adapting to H55's future needs while maximizing operational efficiency.
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Product design support: H55’s design team benefited from our expertise to guide its choices, integrating strategies for sequencing, modularization, automation, and quality control.
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Automation strategy, definition of equipment and services: We identified the equipment and services required, from raw material reception to product dispatch. This enabled us to draw up a list of requirements for the general contractor.
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Qualification of production sites: An in-depth evaluation of possible production sites was carried out, guaranteeing the best option for the project.
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Project management: Merkur acted as project manager, ensuring that every phase of the project was carried out in accordance with H55 requirements.
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Collaboration with the main contractor: We worked closely with the main contractor to speed up the construction project, ensuring rapid and efficient implementation.
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Supplier coordination: We coordinated the various equipment suppliers involved, mostly Canadian but also American, European and African, to ensure the quality of the components.
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FAT (Factory Acceptance Testing): Factory tests to validate equipment before installation.
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Equipment installation: Setting up systems and machines in the plant.
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Commissioning and SAT (Site Acceptance Testing): On-site testing to ensure everything works to specification.
One of the project’s challenges is to carry out concurrent engineering, meaning designing the production line and laying out the plant while the highly innovative product design is still evolving. To make the exercise more concrete, we used 3D-printed mock-ups to simulate assembly operations.
Louis Labonté
Director, Industrial Projects and Program Management
Merkur Inc.
A look back at some of the highlights of the H55 and Merkur collaboration!
Our Merkur team visits the H55 headquarters in Switzerland
One of the first highlights of our collaboration was a visit by our Merkur team to H55's head office in Switzerland. This meeting enabled our engineers to talk directly with the H55 engineering team, which develops and designs the new products. Our team members also had the opportunity to witness the manufacture of prototypes, which will eventually be produced in Quebec. This visit strengthened our understanding of the technical challenges and opportunities ahead and was a crucial step in building a relationship of trust between our two teams.
Plant location selection
A key moment was the final selection of the site in June 2023 on the outskirts of the airport in St-Hubert, after an exhaustive search for possibilities. This event marked a decisive step for H55 in its development process in Canada, clarifying the work involved in setting up a new plant with government authorities, the manufacturer and suppliers alike.
Groundbreaking
The ground-breaking ceremony in October 2023 was a symbolic and tangible milestone in the realization of the project. This event marked the official launch of construction work on the plant. This moment of celebration for all the teams involved underlined everyone's commitment to innovation and the electrification of aviation.
Equipment controls
Up until March, we worked hard to place the necessary equipment orders so that we could receive them on time.This period was marked by a remarkable dynamic between the H55 and Merkur teams. Together, we kept a close eye on the investment budget and schedule.
Moving into the building
With the installation of equipment in the production area already well underway for several weeks, the H55 team was able to move into the new offices as early as September 2024.
Production line start-up
Installing a brand-new plant and everything associated with it, plus an assembly line featuring complex technologies, takes a certain amount of time. The close monitoring of the project and all its facets means that the schedule for progress and start-up of production is on schedule for the first part of 2025.
Conclusion
As a strategic partner of H55, we are proud to be part of this adventure, and we look forward to seeing the positive impact of H55's technologies on the future of aviation, and are all the more proud to have actively supported H55's activities in these efforts in North America.
We'll be back to share the results of this collaboration with you. Stay tuned to our news to follow the project's progress!
Would you like to carry out a large-scale project such as building and fitting out a new plant? Our Merkur industrial engineering and manufacturing projects team has the expertise and experience to bring your project to fruition. We look forward to hearing from you!