TotalEnergies and Air Liquide are joining forces to decarbonize hydrogen production at TotalEnergies’ Normandy platform in France. Air Liquide will supply TotalEnergies with low-carbon H₂ through its H₂ network in Normandy while also implementing a large-scale CCS solution.

Reducing Carbon Emissions

Under a long term contract agreement, Air Liquide will take over and operate the 255 tpd hydrogen production unit at the TotalEnergies platform in Normandy. Connecting the unit to Air Liquide’s hydrogen network will enable to optimize its performance and, ultimately, develop the world’s first low-carbon hydrogen network. The network already includes a hydrogen production facility in Port-Jérôme equipped with Air Liquide’s Cryocap carbon capture solution since 2015. Air Liquide is considering adding a large-scale unit to produce renewable hydrogen via electrolysis.

In addition, the companies will launch development studies to deploy a CCS project to decarbonize the hydrogen produced in this unit at the Normandy platform. Air Liquide would install its Cryocap process to capture CO₂, while TotalEnergies handle transportation and storage of the captured CO₂, notably through the Northern Lights (Norway) and Aramis (Netherlands) CCS projects being developed in the North Sea.

In the long term, the implementation of these projects would reduce the carbon emissions from the unit’s hydrogen production by approximately 650,000 tpy of CO₂ by 2030.

Decarbonizing the Normandy Industrial Basin

This cooperation between Air Liquide and TotalEnergies is aligned with their shared ambition to help decarbonize industrial operations in the Axe Seine/Normandy region. Along with other industrial companies, the partners signed a MOU in July 2021, to develop CCS infrastructure in Normandy with the goal of reducing CO₂ emissions by up to 3 MMtpy by 2030.

"This planned investment at our Normandy platform will enhance its industrial competitiveness and secure its long-term future," said Bernard Pinatel, President, Refining & Chemicals and Member of the Executive Committee of TotalEnergies. "We are delighted to partner with Air Liquide on low-carbon hydrogen projects so we can work together on reducing the carbon emissions from our industrial operations. 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."