The French industrial gas major will build and operate the unit at TotalEnergies’ La Mède biorefinery, which will be used to produce biodiesel and sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). The goal is to reduce the site’s annual CO2 emissions by 130,000 tonnes.
The firms released statements stating that the unit will produce “renewable hydrogen” without explicitly revealing a method of production.
The statements note that the unit will “recycle coproducts” from the TotalEnergies biorefinery, leaving room for interpretation about the hydrogen production method. This could suggest that byproducts, such as organic residues, may be processed into biogas or biomethane, which are common feedstocks for steam methane reforming (SMR).
Under EU regulations, renewable hydrogen is defined as hydrogen produced from renewable energy sources, including biomass. The production process must also achieve at least a 70% reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) emission compared to fossil fuel-based production.
A graphic released by Air Liquide also shows an SMR unit supplying hydrogen to the refinery. While neither company has confirmed the exact technology, the emphasis on coproduct recycling aligns with the circular economy principles often applied in biorefineries.
H2 View has reached out to TotalEnergies for confirmation on the production pathway.
Refinery operations have been ongoing at the site near Marseille since 1935, but since 2015, TotalEnergies has been converting the complex towards biofuels, having invested some €337m.
The €150m project is expected to start production in 2028.
Vincent Stoquart, President, Refinery & Chemicals at TotalEnergies, said the new green hydrogen production unit will accelerate the decarbonisation of the platform.
“Almost ten years after the announcement of its conversion, La Mède is continuing its transformation and is becoming a low-carbon hydrogen production centre, thus contributing to the decarbonisation ambition of the Provence-Alpes-Côte-D’azur region,” he stressed.
It comes after the French pair joined forces in 2022 to develop a new hydrogen production unit TotalEnergies’ Grandpuits biorefinery.
