TotalEnergies and Air Liquide Bet Big on Green Hydrogen in the Netherlands
Netherlands, Wednesday, 19 February 2025.
TotalEnergies and Air Liquide are investing over €1 billion in Dutch green hydrogen projects. This ambitious effort aims to cut CO2 emissions by 450,000 tonnes annually, pushing towards a carbon-neutral future.
A Groundbreaking Partnership
I’m excited to share details about the landmark agreement signed just yesterday between energy giants TotalEnergies and Air Liquide [1][2]. The collaboration involves two major green hydrogen projects in the Netherlands, representing a combined investment of more than €1 billion [1][3]. What makes this particularly interesting is how they’re planning to power these projects - primarily through the OranjeWind offshore wind farm, a joint venture between TotalEnergies and RWE [2].
Project Specifics and Timeline
The first project that caught my attention is a 250-megawatt electrolyzer near the Zeeland refinery [1][4]. This facility aims to produce 30,000 tonnes of green hydrogen annually and is scheduled for commissioning in 2029 [2]. The second project involves Air Liquide’s ELYgator initiative - a 200-megawatt electrolyzer that will generate 15,000 tonnes of green hydrogen yearly for TotalEnergies’ Antwerp facility, expected to be operational by the end of 2027 [2][3].
Environmental Impact and Future Outlook
The environmental benefits are substantial - these projects aim to slash CO2 emissions by up to 450,000 tonnes annually [1][2]. However, I should note that there’s a significant challenge ahead. According to recent analyses, green hydrogen will likely struggle to compete price-wise with traditional gray hydrogen until 2050 [1]. Despite this, TotalEnergies remains committed to its goal of decarbonizing all hydrogen used in its European refineries by 2030 [2][5].