Air Liquide will invest €80m to build and operate a 250,000 tonnes per annum hydrogen plant at TotalEnergies’ La Mède facility, using recycled biogenic by-products for production.
Announced today (25th Nov) with the signing of a long-term contract, the project will avoid the emission of approximately 130,000 tonnes of CO₂ per year at the biorefinery. The hydrogen produced at the site will primarily support the production of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), in line with TotalEnergies’ decarbonisation objectives.
More widely, the 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.
It is hoped that the new hydrogen production unit will be operational in 2028.
Emilie Mouren-Renouard, a member of Air Liquide’s Executive Committee, supervising European operations, said, “We are proud to support TotalEnergies in its project to decarbonise the La Mède biorefinery, thanks to our strategic positioning in the Fos-sur-Mer basin.”
She also notes that the announcement follows a signed Memorandum of Understanding to supply TotalEnergies’ Gonfreville refinery with renewable hydrogen from the Air Liquide Normand’Hy electrolyser.
Read more: Air Liquide makes €400m hydrogen investment in Normandy to supply TotalEnergies
The project is in line with Air Liquide’s strategy of offering its customers a wide range of decarbonisation solutions, such as CO₂ capture and low-carbon hydrogen to support decarbonisation efforts.
SAF in Europe
In July 2021, the European Commission proposed ReFuelEU Aviation as part of the Fit for 55 package in support of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55% by 2030 compared to 1990 levels. In April 2023, ReFuelEU Aviation was formally adopted by the European Parliament and EU member states.
The regulation sets a target for aviation fuel suppliers at EU airports to SAF sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) in their offerings. By 2025, SAF must account for 2% of the fuel supplied. This increases to 6% by 2030, including at least 1.2% synthetic aviation fuels. By 2035, the target rises to 20%, with 5% being synthetic fuels, and further to 34% by 2040, including 10% synthetic fuels. By 2050, suppliers must ensure 70% SAF usage, with at least 35% being synthetic aviation fuels.
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