French energy giant TotalEnergies has partnered with compatriot industrial gases group Air Liquide to build two large-scale electrolyser projects in the Netherlands, the companies said Tuesday.

With a combined investment of over €1 billion ($1.1 billion), the projects will have the electrolysis capacity to produce up to 53,000 t/y of renewable hydrogen. The companies estimate industrial CO2 emissions will be reduced by 450,000 tonnes/year, Kallanish notes.

Air Liquide plans to build, own and operate the 200-megawatt ELYgator project in Maasvlakte, Rotterdam. It will produce 23,000 t/y of renewable and low-carbon hydrogen to supply TotalEnergies, as well as Air Liquide’s Dutch and Belgian customers. The French energy major has already signed an agreement to offtake 15,000 t/y of green hydrogen for its TotalEnergies platform in Antwerp.

Renewable power for the project will be partly supplied by the OranjeWind project, a joint venture between TotalEnergies and RWE. The ELYgator project is expected to be operational at the end of 2027.

The French companies also plan to establish a 50-50 joint venture to build a 250-MW electrolyser in the Zeeland province. It is expected to produce up to 30,000 t/y of green hydrogen, with completion targeted in 2029. Oranjewind will supply renewable power for the project.

Both projects will use proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrolysers manufactured by the joint venture between Air Liquide and Siemens Energy. 

“Flagship projects such as the ones we are announcing today, will play a key role in reducing emissions, particularly in hard-to-abate sectors such as industry and heavy mobility,” comments Emilie Mouren-Renouard, member of the Air Liquide executive committee.

Last year, the two companies announced plans to build a €150m hydrogen production project at La Mède, in the south of France. It is intended to produce 25,000 t/y of hydrogen from recycled biogenic by-products from TotalEnergies’ onsite biorefinery, starting in 2028.