Air Liquide, TotalEnergies Partner to Produce Hydrogen

Industrial gases company Air Liquide and TotalEnergies will jointly invest €150 million (US$158 million) and work together to produce renewable hydrogen at the La Mède biorefinery in southeast France, the energy company said Nov. 25.

The partnership takes shape as TotalEnergies moves to decarbonize its European refineries. Plans are for Air Liquide to build and operate a hydrogen production unit, using steam methane reforming, at La Mède with an annual capacity of 25,000 tons, according to a news release. The hydrogen will be used at the biorefinery to produce biodiesel and sustainable aviation fuel.

The new unit is expected to start production in 2028, TotalEnergies said.

“This new renewable hydrogen production project, carried out with Air Liquide, allows us to accelerate the decarbonization of our La Mède platform,” said Vincent Stoquart, president of refining and chemicals for TotalEnergies. “Almost ten years after the announcement of its conversion, La Mède is continuing its transformation and is becoming a low-carbon hydrogen production center, thus contributing to the decarbonization ambition of the Provence-Alpes-Côte-D’azur region.”

The company’s efforts also include the Masshyli green hydrogen project with Engie. The companies aim to have an annual capacity of 10,000 tons per year. If subsidies are secured and the project is approved by European and French regulators, plans are to start the first 20-megawatt electrolyzer in 2029.