TotalEnergies and VNG, a German natural gas distribution company, have signed an agreement to initiate the future supply of green hydrogen to the Leuna refinery operated by TotalEnergies.
Under the agreement, green hydrogen will be produced from renewable electricity with a 30 MW electrolyser in Bad Lauchstädt, built and operated by VNG with its partner Uniper.
The agreement contributes to the decarbonisation of the Leuna refinery and will reduce the site’s annual CO2 emissions by up to 80,000 tonnes by 2030.
Furthermore, the pipeline connection to the Bad Lauchstädt Energy Park will give the Leuna refinery access to the future European hydrogen infrastructure and the international markets for green hydrogen.
TotalEnergies Refining Base Chemicals Europe Senior Vice President Jean-Marc Durand said the project is in line with the company’s ambition to decarbonise all hydrogen used in its European refineries by 2030.
“Our ambition is to replace the grey hydrogen with low carbon hydrogen, representing a reduction of three million tonnes of CO2 per year by 2030.”
The Leuna facility produces a comprehensive product range including gasoline, diesel, fuel oil, LPG, naphtha, aviation fuel, bitumen and methanol.
Each day the refinery processes an average of around 30,000 tonnes of crude oil, which is imported primarily from Russia into the plant’s storage tanks via pipeline.
Furthermore, the refinery is Germany’s largest producer of methanol, which is an important raw material within the chemical industry.
The refinery first went into operation in 1997.
