Air Liquide has signed a record 2,500 gigawatt hours (GWh) of power purchase agreements (PPAs) in 2024, securing low-carbon electricity to cut over 1.2 million tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) annually.
The contracts are part of a growing trend among industrial gas majors, as they lock in renewable energy to decarbonise operations and meet tightening emissions targets.
The company says it will deliver on these agreements through a mix of wind, solar and hydroelectric projects developed in partnership with local and international renewable energy providers.
In China, the company has secured agreements linked to large-scale solar farms, while in France and Germany wind energy will play a key role in powering its industrial gas operations.
In Spain, the agreements cover a mix of solar and hybrid renewable projects, and in Argentina Air Liquide will harness the country’s expanding wind energy capacity, amounting to around 4GW.
The company’s head of Sustainable Development Diana Schillag says that sourcing low-carbon electricity is part of its ADVANCE strategic plan – Air Liquide’s roadmap for decarbonisation.
“The record amount of low-carbon electricity secured in 2024 in key regions demonstrates Air Liquide’s approach to decarbonisation, focusing on actions that deliver real impact,” she said.
The signing of more PPAs reflects the commitments from the industrial gas majors to source more renewables to meet environmental obligations.
Linde, for instance, signed two long-term deals in 2024 to source 320GWh per year of renewable energy in China.
“These agreements take us another step towards our 2035 emissions reduction target and enable us to supply industrial gases with a lower carbon intensity to our customers in China at a competitive price,” said Will Li, President Greater China at Linde.
And Air Products struck a ten-year deal with Eneco in the Netherlands, while its subsidiary Air Products San Fu Co Ltd locked in a similar agreement in Taiwan to supply solar electricity for industrial gas production.
