Air Liquide to build green hydrogen plant for TotalEnergies biorefinery in France

Industrial gases firm Air Liquide has announced a renewable hydrogen production project at La Mède (Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region in France). 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/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 EUR80 million for Air Liquide. Planned to be operational in 2028, it will significantly contribute to the decarbonisation of the biorefinery, where TotalEnergies aims to reduce  CO₂ emissions by around 130,000 tonnes/year.

This project represents a new stage in the decarbonisation 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 decarbonised hydrogen in the Fos-sur-Mer area.

Furthermore, this project is in line with Air Liquide’s commitment to supporting decarbonisation 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.