Air Liquide and Siemens Energy to produce hydrogen electrolyzers

The creation of a joint venture between Air Liquide and Siemens Energy for the industrial-scale manufacturing of renewable hydrogen electrolyzers in Europe has been announced. 

This Franco-German alliance will facilitate the creation of a sustainable hydrogen economy in Europe and promote a European ecosystem for electrolysis and hydrogen technologies by integrating the experience of two of the world’s top firms in their respective fields. Output is anticipated to start in the second half of 2023 and build up to a three-gigawatt annual production capacity by 2025.

The joint venture, whose formation is still pending permission from the relevant authorities, will be split between Siemens Energy and Air Liquide, with Siemens Energy owning 25.1% and Air Liquide holding 74.9%. Berlin will serve as the main office for this joint enterprise. According to prior announcements, the multi-gigawatt joint venture plant that makes electrolysis modules (also known as “stacks”) will also be situated in the German capital. As the industry is expanding quickly, this plant will provide stacks to both Groups for their diverse client bases. These stacks will have a high level of efficiency and are well suited to gather volatile renewable energy since they are based on proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrolysis technology. Additionally, as part of their agreement, Air Liquide and Siemens Energy have committed to allocating R&D resources to the joint development of the next generation of electrolyzer technology.

The strategic alliance will profit from a portfolio of hydrogen projects integrating the pipelines of Siemens Energy and Air Liquide, aiming to develop large-scale hydrogen projects for industry in cooperation with clients. As a result, it is anticipated that competitive renewable hydrogen will become more readily available sooner. This will lay a strong foundation for the necessary quick ramp-up of electrolysis capacity. The Air Liquide Normand’Hy electrolyzer project, which will be built in Normandy, France, and has a first-phase capacity of 200 megawatts (MW), is one of the initial projects. The electrolyzer equipment for this project will be put together in France.

The founding of this Franco-German joint company is a significant step toward the formation of a leading European renewable and low-carbon hydrogen ecosystem, according to Air Liquide CEO François Jackow. Air Liquide and Siemens Energy will be able to decarbonize their operations and give their customers access to significant quantities of cost-effective renewable hydrogen by ramping up the production of massive electrolyzers. Air Liquide is more dedicated than ever to making hydrogen a driving force of the energy transition and of the battle against global warming in accordance with its Sustainable Development plan.

Christian Bruch, CEO and President of Siemens Energy AG, declared, “We aim to be a driving force in hydrogen technology.” We require serially produced, inexpensive, scalable electrolyzers to make green hydrogen competitive. Strong collaborations are also necessary. We look forward to adopting cutting-edge solutions and working with Air Liquide, a pioneer in hydrogen for more than 50 years, to help create this new hydrogen industry.

The partners have applied for funding for “major projects” under the EU Innovation Fund, the Green Deal, and the Important Project of Common European Interest (IPCEI)-scheme for hydrogen, which is supported by the European Governments.