TotalEnergies, Air Liquide agree green H2 supply for French refinery

French oil and gas major TotalEnergies SE (EPA:TTE) has signed an agreement with compatriot industrial gas provider Air Liquide (EPA:AI) for the long-term supply of TotalEnergies’ refinery in Gonfreville, Normandy, France with green and low carbon hydrogen.

Air Liquide is set to build and operate a 200-MW electrolyser, the Normand’Hy project, with half of its capacity to be dedicated to the Gonfreville refinery and the remaining 100 MW intended to serve customers in the Normandy industrial basin and support low-carbon mobility. Air Liquide said it will invest over EUR 400 million (USD 429m) to construct its Normand’Hy electrolyser. The project is supported by the French state and the EU and has received EUR 190 million from the French government.

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To be located in the Port-Jerome industrial zone, the project will use proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrolysis technology, featuring equipment produced as part of the joint venture between Air Liquide and Siemens Energy.

Under the memorandum of understanding between TotalEnergies and Air Liquide, the refinery will be supplied with 10,000 tonnes of green hydrogen and up to 5,000 tonnes of low-carbon hydrogen annually starting from the second half of 2026.

TotalEnergies on its part will supply around 700 GWh a year of renewable and low-carbon power to the electrolyser to power its 100-MW share. For the other half, Air Liquide plans to sign long-term renewable power purchase agreements (PPA), supplemented with low-carbon energy from the grid.

The partnership is part of TotalEnergies' efforts to decarbonise the hydrogen used by its European refineries by 2030. In line with that goal, the energy group today also launched a call for tenders to source 500,000 tonnes of green hydrogen per year.

TotalEnergies and Air Liquide are also partnering on a hydrogen initiative at TotalEnergies’ Grandpuits site in France.

(EUR 1 = USD 1.073)