As per the report by Energy Voice, energy companies Total and Engie agreed to build and operate the largest renewable hydrogen production site in France.
It is said to be located in the heart of Total’s La Mede biorefinery and will be powered by solar farms with a total capacity of more than 100 MW.
The 40 MW electrolyzer will produce 5 tons of green hydrogen per day to meet the needs of the biofuel production process at the biorefinery.
This will cancel 15,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions per year from the plant, in Chateauneuf-les-Martigues, in southeastern France.
An innovative management solution for hydrogen production and storage will be implemented to manage the intermittent production of solar electricity and the need for continuous hydrogen supply biorefinery.
The partners can develop new renewable farms for the electrolyzer, which has the capacity to produce up to 15 tons of green hydrogen per day.
The Masshylia project has been rated as innovative and of great interest to the region by various regional institutions.
The two partners aim to begin construction of the facilities in 2022, upon completion of the advanced engineering study, with a view to production in 2024.
The project has already applied for grants from the French and European authorities.
Philippe Sauquet, President of Gas, Renewables and Energy at Total, said: “Innovation and sustainability are at the heart of this joint project.
“As our commitment to the European Clean Hydrogen Alliance demonstrates, we believe in the future of renewable hydrogen, and we are working with our partner Engie to make this happen.
“This renewable hydrogen production facility, combined with our expertise in solar energy, is a further step in our commitment to reach net zero by 2050.
“The association of two major French energy companies will allow the hydrogen sector to develop and become its leaders thanks to this joint, industrially and internationally reproducible project.”
As per the report, Gwenaelle Avice-Huet, Engie’s Executive Vice President in Charge of Renewables, said: “The Masshylia project demonstrates Engie’s ability to meet the challenges of the energy transition by developing innovative carbon neutral solutions.
“The partnership between Engie and Total, because of its scale and highly ambitious integrated approach, embodies Engie’s renewable hydrogen development strategy to reduce our customers’ CO2 footprint.
“It also paves the way for a multi-use renewable hydrogen hub in the near future, strongly rooted in the region and with an international reach.”
