Hydrogen, an essential solution for the energy transition

The development of hydrogen energy is one of these possibilities. Over the past 50 years, Air Liquide has developed unique know-how in the management of the entire hydrogen value chain (production, storage, distribution and development of new uses). The Group firmly believes that this molecule is a key lever in the drive to decarbonize industrial activities that are still dependent on fossil fuels. Its main advantage: it generates zero pollution during its use. It can be produced using renewable energy sources, stored long term and then be re-transformed into electricity, thus compensating for the intermittent nature of these same energy sources.

Scaling up the use of hydrogen as a clean energy vector is therefore one of the priorities set by Air Liquide. This ambition is shared by public authorities, as the recent recovery plans of different countries show, or the creation by the European Commission of a clean hydrogen alliance⁽²⁾ in July 2020. All draw the same conclusion: major investment is required in this energy in order to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050⁽³⁾.

Cars, buses, trains, ferries and even planes — hydrogen energy is one of the solutions for clean mobility and Air Liquide continues to invest in this field. In addition to the roll-out of stations for light vehicles, in particular in Europe, Japan, South Korea and California, Air Liquide is also focused on the heavy vehicle segment. In France, for example, the Group plans to build the first high pressure hydrogen refueling station in Europe, in Fos-sur-Mer, which will fuel long-distance trucks as of 2022. Moreover, in July, the Group announced the launch of a partnership with the Port of Rotterdam to support the roll-out of hydrogen powered trucks (see p. 4).

100%
OF HYDROGEN PRODUCED BY AIR LIQUIDE 
FOR THE MOBILITY MARKET 
WILL BE LOW-CARBON BY 2030 

Hydrogen also has a role to play in the development of a low-carbon industry. This molecule, which has already been used for many years, is now being used in new virtuous methods such as in the steel industry. At the thyssenkrupp facility in Duisburg, Germany, hydrogen provided by Air Liquide partly replaces coal used in the blast furnaces. This results in a reduction in CO₂ emissions from the steel production process of up to 20%.

The Group is also actively involved in several major clean mobility projects alongside other industrial players and international institutions. This global mobilization is required to promote the emergence of a global hydrogen economy and to meet the energy transition challenge.

(2) European Clean Hydrogen Alliance

(3) Objective stated by the European Commission in November 2018 in its “A clean planet for all” strategy

TOWARDS THE PRODUCTION OF LOW-CARBON HYDROGEN

Air Liquide’s unique know-how allows the Group to reduce the carbon footprint of hydrogen produced thanks to different processes: biomethane reforming, CO₂ capture and storage or water electrolysis.