TotalEnergies Plans Green Hydrogen for European Refineries

The target is to reduce CO2 emissions by 450,000 tonnes per year using green hydrogen.
This new initiative is part of TotalEnergies’ broader plan to cut three million tonnes of emissions annually from its European refineries by 2030.

The global integrated energy and petroleum company TotalEnergies has joined forces with Air Liquide, a world leader in gases, technologies, and services for industry and healthcare, to decarbonise the former's European refineries with green hydrogen.

The companies use green hydrogen to reduce carbon emissions from TotalEnergies' refineries in Belgium and the Netherlands. To make it more sustainable and environmentally friendly, renewable energy from the OranjeWind offshore wind farm, which TotalEnergies co-owns with RWE, will be used to generate hydrogen.

This goal is in line with TotalEnergies' goal to cut carbon emissions from its European refineries by 2030 and also supports broader European renewable energy targets.

The partnership focuses on two important projects: 1) a 250 MW electrolyser in Zeeland and 2) Air Liquide’s 200 MW ELYgator electrolyser in Maasvlakte.

The first project is jointly developed by TotalEnergies and Air Liquide and will produce 30,000 tonnes of green hydrogen annually, particularly for TotalEnergies' Zeeland refinery. Once operational in 2029, the electrolyser will reduce 300,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions per year.

The second project will produce 15,000 tonnes of green hydrogen per year for TotalEnergies’ Antwerp refinery, with a 130 MW capacity. According to the agreement, TotalEnergies will supply renewable electricity from the OranjeWind wind farm to Air Liquide, which will convert it into hydrogen. This electrolyser will be fully functional by 2027, cutting CO2 emissions at the Antwerp site by 150,000 tonnes per year.

Vincent Stoquart, President, Refining & Chemicals at TotalEnergies, commented: "Following the first partnership agreement with Air Liquide to supply the Normandy refinery with green hydrogen, and the agreements to supply the Grandpuits and La Mède biorefineries with renewable hydrogen, the partnership with Air Liquide takes on a new dimension and marks a new step in TotalEnergies' ambition to decarbonize the hydrogen consumed by its refineries in Europe by 2030.

"By supplying these two electrolyzers with renewable electricity from our offshore wind project in the Netherlands, TotalEnergies is leveraging its positioning as an integrated electricity company.”

Emilie Mouren-Renouard, member of the Air Liquide Executive Committee, in charge of Europe operations, said: "Flagship projects such as the ones we are announcing today, will play a key role in reducing emissions, particularly in hard-to-abate sectors such as industry and heavy mobility. We are proud to lead the way on European renewable and low-carbon hydrogen production, and to accompany TotalEnergies in their journey to decarbonizing their industrial assets.

"These two projects will complete the five Air Liquide low carbon units already in operation or construction in Europe. This illustrates our capacity to offer concrete solutions to our customers, to reach our carbon neutrality ambition by 2050, and to support Europe’s leadership ambition towards decarbonized growth. It also demonstrates the ability of Air Liquide to develop solid business models in the energy field of low carbon hydrogen."

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Source: TotalEnergies