25-11-2024

Air Liquide strengthens its partnership with TotalEnergies through a new major project in the south of France

Air Liquide announces a renewable hydrogen production project at La Mède. In the context of a long-term contract, Air Liquide will cover the hydrogen needs of TotalEnergie's biorefinery. This project will contribute to the emergence of a new renewable hydrogen ecosystem in the Fos-sur-Mer area, a major industrial basin for Air Liquide in France.

In the framework of a long-term contract, Air Liquide will build, own and operate a new hydrogen production unit at TotalEnergies' La Mède site, with a capacity of 25,000 tonnes per year. It will enable the production of renewable hydrogen from recycled biogenic by-products from the TotalEnergies biorefinery, instead of using fossil hydrocarbons as feedstock. The renewable hydrogen produced will be used mainly by the biorefinery for the production of biofuels and Sustainable Air Fuels (SAF).

This renewable hydrogen production unit, the largest on La Mède industrial platform, would represent an investment of over 80 million euros for Air Liquide. Planned to be operational in 2028, it will significantly contribute to the decarbonization of the biorefinery, where TotalEnergies aims to reduce  CO₂ emissions by around 130,000 tonnes per year.

This project represents a new stage in the decarbonization of Air Liquide's hydrogen network production sources. It will help strengthen the Group's presence and capacity to meet current and future needs for decarbonized hydrogen in the Fos-sur-Mer area. Furthermore, this project is in line with Air Liquide's commitment to supporting decarbonization initiatives launched by industrial partners locally. Air Liquide has been present in the region for over 50 years, and already operates three air separation units, a hydrogen production unit and a hydrogen network. In Fos-sur-Mer, for example, it operates Europe's first high-pressure hydrogen station for long-distance trucks.

Emilie Mouren-Renouard, member of Air Liquide’s Executive Committee, notably supervising the Group’s operations in Europe, said: “We are proud to support TotalEnergies in its project to decarbonize the La Mède biorefinery, thanks to our strategic positioning in the Fos-sur-Mer basin. Two years after the announcement of the circular economy project in Grandpuits, and following on from our memorandum of understanding to supply TotalEnergies' Gonfreville refinery with renewable hydrogen from the Air Liquide Normand'Hy electrolyzer, we are continuing our partnership with TotalEnergies to serve the energy transition through the implementation of our decarbonization solutions.”

This project is in line with Air Liquide's strategy of offering its customers a wide range of decarbonization solutions, such as CO₂ capture and low-carbon hydrogen, in response to the challenges posed by the climate emergency. This unique positioning and its technological expertise make Air Liquide a major player in the implementation of hydrogen projects to decarbonize industries and develop low-carbon mobility.