TotalEnergies and Engie’s Masshylia mega-project for the generation of green hydrogen by electrolysis of water from photovoltaic energy in Châteauneuf-les-Martigues on the La Mède platform will triple its production capacity.
Initially designed for a maximum daily output of 15 tonnes of low-carbon hydrogen, Masshylia’s daily output might potentially reach 50 tonnes with the installation of a 120 MW electrolyser – up from 40 MW originally. This electricity will be generated by around 70% green electrons derived from photovoltaic energy and 30% from the current mix, primarily nuclear.
Many solar farms will certainly power the on-site electrolyzer. What decarbonize, in part, the activities of Total La Mède’s biorefinery, a fuel producer. The new Masshylia version promises to save 100,000 tonnes of CO2 each year, up from 15,000 tonnes previously.
Masshylia will design an on-site storage solution to assure a constant supply of renewable hydrogen to the plant. The two project leaders will also rely on piloting software to adjust hydrogen production in real time based on photovoltaic farm output.
This reconfiguration, announced on March 9 during the annual meeting of the French Union of Petroleum Industry, Energy, and Mobility (Ufip), is not without consequences. That will result in fresh feasibility studies and additional infrastructure, delaying the plant’s opening. Originally scheduled for 2024, the Masshylia unit should be operational by 2026.
