Statkraft, Europe’s largest renewable energy producer, and Air Liquide, a global leader in gases and technologies, have entered into a power purchase agreement (PPA) to generate green hydrogen.
The renewable energy supplied by Statkraft will power Air Liquide’s new electrolyser plant in Oberhausen, Germany, enabling the production of renewable hydrogen at an industrial scale for various industries and transportation applications.
Under the agreement, Statkraft, a Norwegian state-owned company, will provide Air Liquide with renewable power from its wind portfolio in Germany for a period of three years starting in 2024. Air Liquide, a French producer of technical gases, will utilize this green electricity to produce renewable hydrogen at its newly constructed 20 MW “Trailblazer” water-electrolysis plant in Oberhausen.
One of the significant advantages of this PPA is that it enables Air Liquide to certify the hydrogen as renewable and achieve compliance with the Renewable Energy Directive II (REDII). By doing so, Air Liquide’s customers can market products with a lower carbon footprint, contributing to their sustainability goals.
Sascha Schröder, Vice President of Central European Origination at Statkraft, expressed enthusiasm about the collaboration, highlighting that their wind farm portfolio allows them to offer Air Liquide a competitive solution that meets their renewable energy needs. The green electricity supplied will be instrumental in producing renewable hydrogen on a large scale, playing a crucial role in transforming industrial processes to achieve a permanent reduction in CO2 emissions in Germany.
The electrolyser plant will be integrated into Air Liquide’s existing infrastructure in the Rhine-Ruhr valley, enabling the supply of renewable hydrogen and oxygen to key industries and the transportation sector.
Gilles Le Van, Vice President of Large Industries and Energy Transition for Air Liquide in Central Europe, emphasized the significance of securing access to renewable energy for the company’s decarbonization and sustainable development strategy. This collaboration marks another step in Air Liquide’s journey toward the energy transition, enabling them to meet the growing demand from customers for competitive low-carbon solutions.
Statkraft, known for developing, operating, and marketing hydropower plants, solar farms, and wind farms across Europe, offers tailor-made green electricity solutions to industrial companies. Power purchase agreements (PPAs) like this one facilitate the financing of new solar and wind farms and support the continued operation of renewable energy plants after the expiration of subsidies. Green electricity PPAs play a crucial role in helping Statkraft’s industrial customers achieve their sustainability and climate goals.
