Using Green Hydrogen to decarbonise TotalEnergies' Leuna refinery

TotalEnergies and RWE have entered a significant partnership aimed at decarbonising TotalEnergies' Leuna refinery in Germany by supplying 30,000 tons of green hydrogen annually. This collaboration, set to begin in 2030, will span 15 years and involves the construction of a 300 MW electrolyser by RWE in Lingen, Germany. The electrolyser will produce the green hydrogen, which will be stored locally and transported to the Leuna refinery via a 600 km pipeline. This green hydrogen supply is expected to reduce the refinery's CO2 emissions by approximately 300,000 tons each year.

This contract represents the largest green hydrogen deal of its kind in Germany, marking a significant step toward the decarbonisation of the hydrogen used in TotalEnergies’ European refineries. Patrick Pouyanné, Chairman and CEO of TotalEnergies, emphasised the importance of the partnership with RWE, noting that it aligns with the company's goal of reducing CO2 emissions at its Leuna refinery. He also acknowledged the role of the German government's H2 backbone and their support for green hydrogen customers like the Leuna refinery.

Markus Krebber, CEO of RWE, expressed pride in securing the first long-term offtake agreement of this scale for green hydrogen in Germany. He highlighted that this agreement, coming just six months after the investment decision for the 300 MW electrolysis plant in Lingen, demonstrates the effectiveness of hydrogen when backed by the right incentives for customers.

As part of its broader commitment to decarbonising its European refineries, TotalEnergies is focusing on reducing the carbon footprint of its operations. The company aims to cut its annual CO2 emissions by about three million tons by 2030 through the use of low-carbon hydrogen. To achieve this, TotalEnergies has already contracted over 200,000 tons of green and renewable hydrogen annually for its refineries in La Mède, Grandpuits, Normandy, Leuna, as well as sites in Antwerp and Zeeland.