Annual Report 2021

What makes hydrogen a solution for decarbonizing industry and heavy transport ?

Hydrogen plays a key role in the energy transition, particularly when it comes to decarbonizing industry and heavy transport, which represent 18% and 25% of worldwide CO₂ emissions respectively⁽¹⁾. Air Liquide has 50 years of expertise in hydrogen, and 20 years ago we banked on the molecule being used for clean mobility. Since 2021, things have rapidly accelerated. More than 30 governments have positioned hydrogen at the heart of their energy strategy, with 100 billion euros⁽²⁾ pledged in support of its large-scale roll-out. By 2050, it is expected to account for more than 20% of global end-use energy demand⁽³⁾.

As a pioneering group in the hydrogen sector, how can Air Liquide accelerate this roll-out ?

The entire hydrogen ecosystem is in development! We firmly believe that when it comes to tackling environmental challenges, we are all in this together. In this ramp-up phase, we are forging strategic partnerships with industry and transport stakeholders including TotalEnergies, Siemens Energy, BASF, Airbus and Faurecia⁽⁴⁾, to create industrial projects and infrastructures for the production and distribution of hydrogen. To accelerate our efforts alongside our industrial and financial partners, we have created the largest global fund fully dedicated to expanding hydrogen infrastructure, funded with 1.5 billion euros. In the face of climate change, it is crucial that we combine technologies, expertise, and industrial and financial capabilities to accelerate the production and use of low-carbon hydrogen.

What do you think the development of hydrogen will look like in 10 years ?

The hydrogen revolution is already underway. Today, we need to boost its roll-out by leveraging the commitments made by public and private sector players to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. We are going to invest 8 billion euros in the low-carbon hydrogen supply chain. Our strategic investments in large-scale electrolyzers, such as those we have already made in Canada, France and Germany, will bring our overall electrolysis capacity to 3 GW by 2030 for producing renewable hydrogen. The decade of hydrogen has begun, and it is our ambition to act as a hydrogen leader.