Air Liquide makes a strategic investment to support large scale renewable hydrogen production in France

Paris, France, January 20, 2021

Hydrogen

France

Air Liquide announces a 40% stake acquisition in the capital of the French company H2V Normandy, a subsidiary of H2V Product, which aims to build a large-scale electrolyzer complex of up to 200 MW for the production of renewable and low-carbon hydrogen in France. This strategic investment demonstrates Air Liquide’s long-term commitment to hydrogen energy and its ambition to be a major player in the supply of renewable and low-carbon hydrogen, in order to contribute to the decarbonization of the industry and mobility markets.

Located in the industrial zone of Port-Jérôme in Normandy, France, the large-scale electrolyzer project of H2V Normandy aims to supply renewable and low-carbon hydrogen for industrial applications, as well as future heavy mobility applications. The project is part of an ambitious program to develop new energies to decarbonate industrial activities (refining and chemical) on the Seine Valley axis in Normandy, one of Air Liquide's historical industrial basins in France. This project will enable to avoid the emission of 250,000 tonnes of CO2 per year.

Air Liquide will bring its expertise of more than 50 years in the sector to this project which is part of an investment dynamic that supports the development of renewable and low-carbon hydrogen production in the world. In France, the Group has already deployed a unique solution for CO2 capture called Cryocap^TM on its Port-Jérôme hydrogen production facility.

François Jackow, Executive Vice President and a member of the Air Liquide Group’s Executive Committee said:

“As France has resolutely committed to energy transition with an ambitious hydrogen plan, Air Liquide, a major player in the industry, is investing locally to develop the activity. With this strategic project aimed at producing hydrogen by electrolysis, the Group is strengthening its presence in the Normandy industrial basin. This investment is in line with Air Liquide’s commitment to supply hydrogen from renewable or low-carbon sources for mobility and to support the decarbonization of the industry and thus to promote the emergence of hydrogen as a key element in the energy transition.”

Air Liquide’s commitment to hydrogen energy

In the past 50 years, Air Liquide has developed unique expertise enabling it to master the entire hydrogen supply chain, from production and storage to distribution and the development of applications for end users, thus contributing to the widespread use of hydrogen as a clean energy source, for mobility in particular. Air Liquide has designed and installed more than 120 stations around the world to date. Hydrogen is an alternative to meet the challenge of clean transportation and thus contributes to the improvement of air quality. Used in a fuel cell, hydrogen combines with oxygen in the air to produce electricity, emitting only water. It does not generate any pollution at the point of use: zero greenhouse gases, zero particles and zero noise. Hydrogen provides a concrete response to the challenges posed by sustainable mobility and local pollution in urban areas.