Air Liquide to Launch New Renewable Hydrogen Production Facility in France
French industrial gases group Air Liquide is launching a renewable hydrogen production project at La Mède, France, to supply TotalEnergies’ biorefinery at that site under a long-term contract. AirLiquide will build, own, and operate the new unit with a capacity of 25,000 t/y, producing hydrogen from recycled biogenic by-products instead of fossil hydrocarbons.
According to AirLiquide, this hydrogen will primarily be used for biofuels and sustainable air fuels (SAF), contributing to a new renewable hydrogen ecosystem in the Fos-sur-Mer area.
Representing an investment of over €80 million, the planned hydrogen production facility is scheduled to be operational in 2028 and will significantly contribute to the decarbonization of the biorefinery, where TotalEnergies aims to reduce CO2 emissions by around 130,000 t/y, the partners said in a statement.
Air Liquide said that it already operates three air separation units, a hydrogen production unit, and a hydrogen network in the region.
Emilie Mouren-Renouard, member of Air Liquide’s executive committee, and responsible for the group’s operations in Europe, commented: “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.”
