TotalEnergies and AirLiquide shake hands on offshore wind-powered hydrogen production

February 18, 2025, by Ajsa Habibic

French energy major TotalEnergies and compatriot industrial gas supplier Air Liquide have signed agreements to develop projects for offshore wind-powered production and delivery of green hydrogen.

The agreements cover two projects for the production of some 45,000 tons a year of green hydrogen using renewable power, generated mostly by the OranjeWind offshore wind farm, a joint development by TotalEnergies and RWE.

These projects aim to cut CO2 emissions from TotalEnergies’ refineries in Belgium and the Netherlands by up to 450,000 tons a year and contribute to the European renewable energy targets in transport.

Under the first agreement, TotalEnergies and Air Liquide will set up a joint venture which will build and operate a 250 MW electrolyzer near the Zeeland refinery in the Netherlands. This project is expected to enable the production of up to 30,000 tons of green hydrogen a year, most of which will be delivered to Zeeland’s platform.

As disclosed, the electrolyzer will be commissioned in 2029 and cut the site’s CO2 emissions by up to 300,000 tons a year. This project represents a global investment of around €600 million.

Furthermore, as part of Air Liquide’s 200 MW ELYgator electrolyzer project located in Maasvlakte, the Netherlands, TotalEnergies has signed a tolling agreement for 130 MW to be dedicated to the production of 15,000 tons per year of green hydrogen for its platform in Antwerp, Belgium.

This agreement envisions TotalEnergies supplying the renewable electrons produced by the OranjeWind project to Air Liquide to be transformed into green hydrogen. The project is expected to be operational by the end of 2027 and will reduce CO2 emissions at the Antwerp site by up to 150,000 tons per year, the company explained.

“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,” said Vincent Stoquart, President, Refining & Chemicals at TotalEnergies.

“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.”

TotalEnergies intends to use low-carbon hydrogen to decarbonize its European refineries, a move that should help reduce its annual CO2 emissions by around three million tons by 2030. The company has already contracted over 170,000 tons of green hydrogen annually at: La Mède, Grandpuits and Normandy in France, Leuna in Germany and its refineries in Belgium and the Netherlands.

Emilie Mouren-Renouard, Member of 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.”