Air Liquide has always known how to evolve to stay one step ahead – and its new strategic plan is in line with this: “With ADVANCE, the Group will continue to act in the present while preparing the future. We will carry on our growth trajectory and meet environmental, social and economic challenges wherever we can make a difference,” says Benoît Potier, now Chairman of the Board of Directors. Through ADVANCE, Air Liquide is affirming its ambitions to achieve strong financial performance, help decarbonize the planet and contribute to progress through technological innovation, all in the interest of society as a whole.
Achieving strong financial performance
Under ADVANCE, Air Liquide intends to continue its growth trajectory while preparing to reduce its CO2 emissions by 2025. Solid financial performance is a gauge of longevity and a guarantee of capacity to invest in the future. The Group has therefore set itself the target of improving both its return on capital employed and its operating margin. “We’re going to set up a dynamic pricing policy, making regular efficiency gains and actively managing our portfolio of activities,” explains Jérôme Pelletan, Group Chief Financial Officer of Air Liquide. To aid its development, the Group will also be increasing its industrial investment to 16 billion euros. Notably, the Group plans to invest 8 billion euros in the low‑carbon hydrogen value chain and maintain its status as the leading supplier of gases and services to the electronics industry.
Decarbonizing the planet
Air Liquide is fully committed to decarbonizing its activity, aiming to reduce its emissions by a third by 2035 and to reach carbon neutrality by 2050. The Group wants to become an industrial leader in decarbonization by offering its customers alternative, cutting‑edge technologies. Accelerating the development of the hydrogen sector is one of its priorities, particularly in industrial basins where operational synergies can thrive. One example is the project Air Liquide Normand’Hy(1), which will allow us to produce renewable hydrogen on a large scale to supply local industries, notably the nearby TotalEnergies refinery. This project will establish the biggest low‑carbon hydrogen network in Europe and help decarbonize the Normandy industrial basin thanks to an agreement signed by Air Liquide, Borealis, Esso S.A.F., TotalEnergies and Yara International.
~50%
OF INDUSTRIAL INVESTMENTS ABOVE 5 MILLION EUROS WILL BE DEDICATED TO THE ENERGY TRANSITION