Paul Rodden • Season: 2023 • Episode: 247
Listen Now:
>Direct Link To The Hydrogen Podcast MP3<
Listen On Your Favorite App:
Welcome to The Hydrogen Podcast!
In episode 247, TotalEnergies with some massive announcements last week, I’ll go over just how much hydrogen they want and give my thoughts on today’s hydrogen podcast.
Thank you for listening and I hope you enjoy the podcast. Please feel free to email me at info@thehydrogenpodcast.com with any questions. Also, if you wouldn’t mind subscribing to my podcast using your preferred platform… I would greatly appreciate it.
Respectfully,
Paul Rodden
A BIG THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSOR
From water electolyzers to flow batteries and fuel cells, Nafion™ Proton Exchange Membranes play a major role in advancing the Hydrogen Economy. Through their high conductivity, superior strength, and chemical durability,Nafion™ membranes provide the performance needed to make green hydrogen safer, more sustainable, and more affordable. Learn how Nafion™ ion exchange materials support the decarbonization of energy across the globe at www.nafion.com.
VISIT THE HYDROGEN PODCAST WEBSITE
https://thehydrogenpodcast.com
DEMO THE H2 ADVANTAGE
https://keyhydrogen.com/hydrogen-location-analytics-software/
CHECK OUT OUR BLOG
https://thehydrogenpodcast.com/blog/
WANT TO SPONSOR THE PODCAST? Send us an email to: info@thehydrogenpodcast.com
NEW TO HYDROGEN AND NEED A QUICK INTRODUCTION?
Start Here: The 6 Main Colors of Hydrogen
Transcript:
Total Energy with some massive announcements last week, I’ll go over just how much hydrogen they want and give my thoughts on today’s hydrogen podcast.
So the big questions in the energy industry today are, how is hydrogen the primary driving force behind the evolution of energy? Where’s capital being deployed for hydrogen projects globally? And where are the best investment opportunities for early adopters recognize the importance of hydrogen? I will address the critical issues and give you the information you need to deploy capital. Those are the questions that will unlock the potential of hydrogen, and this podcast will give you the answers. My name is Paul Rodden. Welcome to the hydrogen podcast.
First, in a press release on September 14 TotalEnergies and Air Liquide Join Forces on Green Hydrogen to Decarbonize the Normandy Platform TotalEnergies and Air Liquide have signed an agreement for the long term supply of green and low carbon hydrogen. For the TotalEnergies refining and petrochemical platform in Normandy. The project will contribute to the decarbonization of the Gonfrevillle site, reducing its CO2 emissions by up to 150,000 tons a year. This cooperation between Air Liquide and TotalEnergies is aligned with the two companies’ shared commitment to contributing to decarbonize industrial operations in the Axe Seine corridor. The project calls for the supply of 10,000 tons of green hydrogen per year to the TotalEnergies platform in Normandy and up to 5,000 tons per year of low carbon hydrogen starting from the second half of 2026. It is comprised of two integrated parts: The production of green and low carbon hydrogen by the Normand’hy electrolyzer, which will be built and operated by Air Liquide, with a total electrical capacity of 200 MW. TotalEnergies will have access to half of this production capacity, corresponding to the amount of hydrogen supplied to its refinery.
TotalEnergies will supply around 700 GWh/year of renewable and low carbon power to the Air Liquide electrolyzer for half of its capacity, i.e. 100 MW, corresponding to the share of hydrogen delivered to the TotalEnergies refinery in Normandy. “This partnership with Air Liquide is a new step in TotalEnergies’ ambition to decarbonize the hydrogen used by its refineries in Europe by 2030. By supplying the electrolyzer with renewable electricity from solar and wind projects, TotalEnergies is making the most of its positioning as an integrated power supplier,” said Bernard Pinatel, President Refining & Chemicals. “This Memorandum of Understanding with TotalEnergies illustrates our ability to offer concrete decarbonization solutions to our customers. Air Liquide Normand’Hy will contribute to the decarbonization trajectory of our assets; it is also in line with our commitment to accompany the industry and mobility sectors in their path to reducing their carbon footprint. Our collaboration with TotalEnergies also strengthens hydrogen development in Normandy. Supported by the French State and the European Union, the Air Liquide Normand’Hy project confirms our commitment to develop renewable and low-carbon hydrogen production by electrolysis technology at industrial scale.” said Pascal Vinet, Executive Vice President and a member of Air Liquide’s Executive Committee, supervising notably Europe Industries activities.
Okay, this press release was backing it by another press release from total energies on the same day with the headline. Decarbonizing Refining: TotalEnergies Launches a Call for Tenders for the Supply of 500,000 tons per Year of Green Hydrogen. It says as part of the drive to decarbonize this European refineries, total energies is launching a call for tenders for the supply of 500,000 tons per year of green hydrogen. The use of green hydrogen should avoid the emission of around 5 million tons of co2 each year from the company’s European refineries by 2030. TotalEnergies has six refineries in Europe – Antwerp (Belgium), Leuna (Germany), Zeeland (Netherlands), Normandy, Donges and Feyzin (France) – as well as two biorefineries in La Mède and Grandpuits (France), all of which use hydrogen. The Company wants to replace 500,000 tons per year of this hydrogen consumed in its refineries with green hydrogen produced with renewable energies by 2030. This is a major step towards achieving TotalEnergies’ objective of reducing the net greenhouse gas emissions directly linked to its oil and gas operations (Scopes 1+2) by 40% by 2030 compared to 2015 levels. In a quote from Patrick Pouyanné, Chairman and CEO of TotalEnergies,
“This massive call for tenders is fully aligned with TotalEnergies’ ambition to decarbonize all of the hydrogen used in its European refineries by 2030. Alongside other green and low carbon hydrogen production projects that the Company is already undertaking at La Mède, Grandpuits, Leuna and Normandy, we are now approaching third-party providers to supply us with green hydrogen to accelerate the decarbonization of our operations. As a consequence, by offering to various worldwide suppliers the opportunity to secure medium- and long-term contracts with TotalEnergies, we trust we will benefit from the most competitive solutions they have developed” Okay, I need to break away from the story for a second to share a quick word from our sponsor.
From water electolyzers to flow batteries and fuel cells, Nafion™ Proton Exchange Membranes play a major role in advancing the Hydrogen Economy. Through their high conductivity, superior strength, and chemical durability, Nafion™ membranes provide the performance needed to make green hydrogen safer, more sustainable, and more affordable. Learn how Nafion™ ion exchange materials support the decarbonization of energy across the globe at www.nafion.com.
Now back to the show. TotalEnergies is committed to reducing the carbon footprint of producing, converting and supplying energy to its customers. One of the levers identified by the Company is to use green or low carbon hydrogen to decarbonize its European refineries, a move that should help reduce its CO2 emissions by around five million tons a year by 2030. In addition to this call for tenders, hydrogen-related projects have already been announced at: La Mède: The Masshylia project to produce green hydrogen for the biorefinery’s needs is in progress in partnership with Engie. Grandpuits: In November 2022, TotalEnergies and Air Liquide signed a partnership agreement to develop an innovative, circular system for producing 20,000 tons a year of hydrogen that is partly renewable thanks to the recycling of residual biogas from the biorefinery. Leuna: In June 2023, TotalEnergies and VNG, a German natural gas distribution company, signed an agreement for the future supply of green hydrogen to the Leuna refinery.
Normandy: In September 2023, TotalEnergies and Air Liquide signed an agreement for the future supply of up to 15,000 tons per year of green and low carbon hydrogen to the TotalEnergies complex in Normandy. Okay, so 500,000 tonnes a year of hydrogen is an astronomical amount. And with this announcement, I can envision every single electrolytic hydrogen provider around the world is busy at work throwing their hat into the ring to be a supplier. Now, there are two main points that I can identify with both of these press releases. The first is the sheer volume announced that they’re pursuing of the 8 refineries listed in the second press release, they’ve only announced the target usable amount of hydrogen for two of them.
Grandpuits and Normandy both of these totaling only 35,000 tonnes a year meaning over 450,000 tonnes a year it will be divided for the remaining refineries in Belgium, Germany, Netherlands, and France. We also know that Germany and the Netherlands both have strong aspirations for hydrogen utilization. Now, will that help or hinder TotalEnergies for getting the needed hydrogen in those respective countries? And, well, the EU regulations around how the hydrogen was created, play a factor into how quickly this hydrogen can be delivered. Which brings me to my second point, both of these press releases mentioned both green and low carbon hydrogen. We all know that hydrogen generated from natural gas is frowned upon in Europe. But the fact remains that using natural gas as the feedstock is vastly more economical and will be much more readily available. Neom is still quite a ways away from being able to deliver their vast amounts of hydrogen.
And it would seem like the large majority of Australian hydrogen is already spoken for in Asia. So if the timelines for getting these refineries switched to hydrogen is as short as they’ve stated, We could be looking at large amounts of SMR ATR nuclear and possibly methane pyrolysis hydrogen, supporting this conversion.
And now before I sign off today, I want to let all of our UK and Europe listeners know that our good friend Bridget von Dorsten, at Wood Mackenzie is going to be speaking at the wood Mackenzie hydrogen conference 2023 that’s happening September 20, in London, which is in a couple of days by the time this episode airs. If you’re in the area I highly recommend attending. Bridget is a high flyer in the industry and an expert and it is one worth hearing what she has to say. Actually, you know, there are a number of really good speakers on this list that I would really be excited to hear from Sebastian from high 24, Marita from h2 Green steel.
Now they have been making some headlines recently BP unit Bert Lindy. It’s an impressive collection, Claude from Woodmac is going to speak which is really great. And the hydrogen manager from the port of Antwerp is going to be speaking at the event, I think it would be interesting to hear how that project is coming along. I really think they could write the blueprint on how hydrogen port infrastructure is built. Anyway, I think it would be a great conference, if you can make it.
And speaking of conferences, I’d also like to announce that I have been asked again to moderate a panel at Reuters hydrogen North America Conference in October, and chair a discussion on the hydrogen demand side. I’m honored to be a part of this conference and excited to talk about the future of hydrogen. If you come to the conference, please find me so we can connect. Although I’ll warn you, I might talk about our new hydrogen site selection software I just launched called The H2 Advantage. The software will give your company a clear competitive advantage when seeking guidance on feedstock availability, offtake opportunities, and the best hydrogen location analytics to maximize project profitability. I look forward to the conference and hope to see you all there.
All right. That’s it for me everyone. If you have a second, I would really appreciate it. If you could leave a good review on whatever platform it is that you listen to Apple podcasts, Spotify, Google, YouTube, whatever it is, that will be a tremendous help to the show. And as always, if you ever have any feedback, you’re welcome to email me directly at info@thehydrogenpodcast.com. So until next time, keep your eyes up and honor one another.
Hey, this is Paul. I hope you liked this podcast. If you did and want to hear more. I’d appreciate it if you would either. subscribe to this channel on YouTube, or connect with your favorite platform through my website at www.thehydrogenpodcast.com. Thanks for listening. I very much appreciate it. Have a great day.
