TotalEnergies and Air Liquide are joining forces to decarbonise hydrogen production at TotalEnergies’ Normandy platform in France.
Normandy is one of TotalEnergies largest refining and petrochemical platforms. Under a long term contract agreement, Air Liquide will take over and operate the 255 tonne-per-day hydrogen production unit at the platform.
TotalEnergies advises that connecting the unit to Air Liquide’s hydrogen network will help to optimise its performance and, ultimately, develop the world’s first low-carbon hydrogen network. The network already includes a hydrogen production facility in Port-Jérôme, which has been equipped with Air Liquide’s CryocapTM carbon capture solution since 2015. Air Liquide is considering adding a large-scale unit to produce renewable hydrogen via electrolysis.
The companies will also commence development studies to deploy a carbon capture and storage (CCS) project to decarbonise the hydrogen produced in the unit at the Normandy platform.
Air Liquide would install its CryocapTM process to capture carbon dioxide (CO2), while TotalEnergies will handle the transportation and storage of the captured CO2, notably through the Northern Lights (Norway) and Aramis (Netherlands) CCS projects in the North Sea.
It is forecast that the implementation of these projects would reduce the carbon emissions from the unit’s hydrogen production by approximately 650,000 tonnes of CO2 per year by 2030.
Decarbonising the Normandy Industrial Basin
This cooperation between Air Liquide and TotalEnergies is aligned with a shared ambition to help decarbonise industrial operations in the Axe Seine/Normandy.
Along with other industrial companies, the partners signed a Memorandum of Understanding in July 2021, to develop CCS infrastructure in Normandy with the goal of reducing CO2 emissions by up to three million tonnes per year by 2030.
Bernard Pinatel, President, Refining and Chemicals and Member of the Executive Committee of TotalEnergies, said: “This planned investment at our Normandy platform will enhance its industrial competitiveness and secure its long-term future.”
“These projects contribute to the collective effort launched in the Le Havre industrial zone and the Axe Seine. This is fully aligned with TotalEnergies’ ambition to get to net-zero emissions by 2050,” Pinatel said.
François Jackow, Executive Vice President and a Member of the Air Liquide Group’s Executive Committee supervising Europe Industries activities, commented: “Decarbonising industry is a major challenge. The large range of solutions we have developed enable us to support our customers in their path towards energy transition. We have worked with TotalEnergies for many years, and are pleased to strengthen our partnership today with the deployment of solutions that will provide the Normandy industrial basin with a low-carbon hydrogen network in the years ahead. In line with our objective to reach carbon neutrality by 2050, Air Liquide is acting now to develop low-carbon and renewable hydrogen production and build a more sustainable future.”
Under French law, the proposed transfer of the hydrogen production unit to Air Liquide is subject to the process for notifying and consulting employee representatives of the TotalEnergies Normandy platform, and to the approval from the competent authorities.
