TotalEnergies, Air Liquide to produce green hydrogen at France refinery

PARIS, November 25, 2024 – TotalEnergies and Air Liquide have joined forces to produce green hydrogen at a biorefinery in southeastern France, the energy giant said on Monday.

Together with the on-site TotalEnergies-ENGIE Masshylia green hydrogen project, the new project with Air Liquide will contribute to decarbonising operations at the La Mède refinery, located near Marseille, reducing its yearly CO2 emissions by 130,000 tonnes.

Under the new deal, Air Liquide will build and operate a renewable hydrogen production unit at La Mède. This 25,000-tonne-per-year unit will recycle coproducts from the biorefinery.

 

The hydrogen will then be used in the biorefinery to produce biodiesel and sustainable aviation fuel.

The project, expected to launch output in 2028, will entail a joint investment of EUR 150 million by TotalEnergies and Air Liquide. The new unit is expected to start production in 2028.

“Almost ten years after the announcement of its conversion, La Mède is continuing its transformation and is becoming a low-carbon hydrogen production centre, thus contributing to the decarbonisation ambition of the Provence-Alpes-Côte-D’azur region,” TotalEnergies president for refining and chemicals Vincent Stoquart said.

Meanwhile, work continues on the Masshylia green hydrogen project, which uses production by water electrolysis with a capacity of 10,000 tonnes per year to contribute to the decarbonisation of both the biorefinery and local customers at the Fos-Berre industrial-port zone. Start-up of the first 20-MW electrolyser is expected in 2029.

Photo of the La Mède biorefinery courtesy of TotalEnergies.