French industrial gas giant Air Liquide on Tuesday announced a €1 billion ($1.05 billion) joint investment with oil major TotalEnergies to develop two large-scale, low-carbon hydrogen plants in the Netherlands.

According to a statement, the projects include Air Liquide’s 200-megawatt plant in Rotterdam and a 250-MW setup developed through a newly formed joint venture with TotalEnergies in Zeeland province.

The two initiatives are expected to avoid up to 500,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions annually.

“Flagship projects such as these will play a key role in reducing emissions, particularly in hard-to-abate sectors such as industry and heavy mobility,” said Emilie Mouren-Renouard, a member of Air Liquide’s executive committee in a statement.

Rotterdam Project

Air Liquide further said in the statement that it will build, own and operate the 200 MW plant in Rotterdam and is expected to produce up to 23,000 tonnes of renewable and low-carbon hydrogen annually.

The hydrogen will be supplied to TotalEnergies’ industrial platform through Air Liquide’s pipeline network and serve other industrial and mobility customers in the Netherlands and Belgium.

The project will leverage offshore wind power from TotalEnergies’ share of the OranjeWind wind farm and a Power Purchase Agreement with Vattenfall’s Hollandse Kust Zuid offshore wind farm.

The European Union’s Innovation Fund and the Dutch Important Projects of Common European Interest program have provided financial support. Pending regulatory approvals and subsidies, the project is slated to be operational by the end of 2027.

Zeeland Plant

Air Liquide and TotalEnergies will also create a 50:50 joint venture to develop a 250 MW electrolyzer in Zeeland province.

The project, powered by renewable electricity from OranjeWind, aims to produce up to 30,000 tonnes of renewable and low-carbon hydrogen annually. It is expected to be completed by 2029, subject to final investment decisions and authorizations.

The projects will use electrolyzer technology developed by Air Liquide’s joint venture with Siemens Energy.

Decarbonization Drive

Vincent Stoquart, TotalEnergies’ president of refining & chemicals, highlighted the company’s commitment to reducing the carbon footprint of its refineries. “This partnership with Air Liquide marks a new step in TotalEnergies’ ambition to decarbonize the hydrogen consumed by its refineries in Europe by 2030,” he said.

The projects add to Air Liquide’s portfolio of five low-carbon hydrogen production units already in operation or under construction in Europe, reinforcing the company’s goal to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.

Air Liquide and TotalEnergies’ hydrogen initiatives align with the European Union’s broader strategy to scale up hydrogen production as part of its Green Deal and net-zero emissions targets.

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