TotalEnergies launches call for tenders for supply of 500,000 tonnes of green hydrogen per year to its European refineries
French oil giant wants to replace the grey hydrogen it uses with renewable H2 by 2030
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Roughly speaking, that amount of green hydrogen would require about 5GW of electrolysers and 10GW of dedicated renewable energy, with investment of around €14bn ($15bn).
The move is part of Total’s plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from its oil & gas operations by 40% by 2030 compared to 2015 levels — its so-called Scope 1 and 2 emissions.
Grey hydrogen produced from unabated natural gas is currently used in refineries to remove sulphur from crude oil, and for the production of diesel and jet fuel through a process known as hydrocracking.
Total’s conventional refineries are in Normandy, northern France; Donges, northwest France; Feyzin, eastern France; Antwerp, Belgium; Zeeland in the Netherlands, and Leuna in eastern Germany.
Its only existing biorefinery is in La Mède, on the south coast of France, near Marseilles, where Total produces 500,000 tonnes of biodiesel a year. However, the hydrogen call for tenders also includes supply to its planned biofuel facility in Grandpuits, near Paris, which is due to begin operations in 2025, producing sustainable aviation fuel, renewable diesel and renewable naphtha.
“This massive call for tenders is fully aligned with TotalEnergies' ambition to decarbonize all of the hydrogen used in its European refineries by 2030,” said company CEO Patrick Pouyanné.
“Alongside other green and low carbon hydrogen production projects that the company is already undertaking at La Mède, Grandpuits, Leuna and Normandy, we are now approaching third-party providers to supply us with green hydrogen to accelerate the decarbonisation of our operations.
“As a consequence, by offering to various worldwide suppliers the opportunity to secure medium- and long-term contracts with TotalEnergies, we trust we will benefit from the most competitive solutions they have developed.”
Separately, Total has also announced an agreement with Air Liquide for the long-term supply of 10,000 tonnes of green hydrogen and 5,000 tonnes of “low-carbon hydrogen” to the oil company’s Normandy refinery from the second half of 2026.
The hydrogen will be produced by Air Liquide’s 200MW “Normand’hy” electrolyser, with Total supplying it with 100MW of renewable and low-carbon power.
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