Air Liquide and TotalEnergies are investing over €1bn in two large-scale green hydrogen projects in the Netherlands, aiming to cut industrial carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by 450,000 metric tonnes annually.
The ‘ELYgator’ project, a 200MW (megawatt) electrolyser in Rotterdam, will produce up to 23,000 tonnes of renewable and low-carbon hydrogen per year from 2027, powered by offshore wind. The second project, a 250MW electrolyser in Zeeland, will produce up to 30,000 tonnes annually under similar conditions from 2029.
“These projects mark a major step in scaling up renewable hydrogen production in Europe,” said François Jackow, CEO of Air Liquide. “Hydrogen is key to decarbonising industry and heavy mobility.”
Both projects will supply hydrogen to hard-to-abate industries such as refining, chemicals, and heavy transport, replacing fossil-based fuels.
The Netherlands aims to reach at least 4GW (gigawatts) of green hydrogen production by 2030, with plans to double to 8GW by 2032, depending on wind power availability, grid capacity and industrial demand. The country currently consumes around 1.5 million tonnes of grey hydrogen annually, mainly in refining and ammonia production.
While these projects will support domestic demand, they may also contribute to Europe’s wider hydrogen supply. However, with no offtake agreements disclosed, it remains unclear where the hydrogen will ultimately be used.
The renewable electricity will be mainly sourced from the OranjeWind offshore wind farm, a joint venture between TotalEnergies and RWE. Vincent Stoquart, President of Refining & Chemicals at TotalEnergies, said, “By supplying these two electrolysers with renewable electricity from our offshore wind project in the Netherlands, TotalEnergies is leveraging its positioning as an integrated electricity company.”
This is not the first major hydrogen collaboration between Air Liquide and TotalEnergies. In 2023, Air Liquide announced a €400 million investment in a large-scale hydrogen production unit in Normandy, designed to supply low-carbon hydrogen to TotalEnergies’ Gonfreville refinery.
The Netherlands projects also follow Air Liquide’s record renewable Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs), recently signed to secure nearly 2GW of wind and solar power.
The EU aims to produce 10 million tonnes of renewable hydrogen annually by 2030 and import another 10 million tonnes to decarbonise heavy industry and transport, in line with its Fit for 55 and REPowerEU plans to expand clean hydrogen infrastructure and reduce reliance on fossil fuels.
