TotalEnergies, in partnership with Air Liquide, is investing €150 million (R2,9 billion) in a new renewable hydrogen production unit at the La Mède biorefinery in southeast France. The project, with annual capacity of 25 000 tons of hydrogen, will recycle co-products from the biorefinery and supply hydrogen for biodiesel and sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) production.
The renewable hydrogen unit is expected to start production in 2028 and will contribute to decarbonisation of the La Mède platform, reducing its annual carbon dioxide emissions by 130 000 tons.
“Almost 10 years after the announcement of its conversion, La Mède is continuing its transformation and becoming a low-carbon hydrogen production centre, contributing to the decarbonisation ambition of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region,” says Vincent Stoquart, President: Refining and Chemicals at TotalEnergies.
In addition to the La Mède project, TotalEnergies is developing the Masshylia green hydrogen project, in partnership with ENGIE, which will produce 10 000 tons of hydrogen per year through water electrolysis, supporting decarbonisation of the biorefinery and local customers in the Fos-Berre industrial-port zone. The first 20 MW electrolyser is expected to begin operating in 2029 subject to European and French subsidies and authorisations.
