TotalEnergies, Verbundnetz Gas join forces to decarbonize Leuna Refinery in Germany

TotalEnergies and Verbundnetz Gas (VNG), a German natural gas distribution company, inked an agreement on Wednesday to initiate the future supply of green hydrogen to the Leuna refinery in Germany operated by TotalEnergies.

The agreement will contribute to the decarbonization of the Leuna refinery while reducing annual carbon dioxide emissions by up to 80,000 tons until 2030.

‘This project is fully in line with TotalEnergies’ ambition to decarbonize all hydrogen used in its European refineries by 2030,’ Jean-Marc Durand, senior vice president of TotalEnergies Refining Base Chemicals Europe, was quoted as saying in the statement.

Under the agreement, green hydrogen will be produced from renewable electricity with a 30 megawatt (MW) electrolyzer in Bad Lauchstadt, Germany, built and operated by VNG with its partner Uniper, an energy company headquartered in Dusseldorf, Germany.

Durant confirmed TotalEnergies’ ambition to replace grey hydrogen, created from natural gas or methane using steam methane reformation but without capturing the greenhouse gases produced in the process, with low-carbon hydrogen by 2030, representing a reduction of 3 million tons of CO2 per year.

Furthermore, the pipeline connection to the Bad Lauchstadt Energy Park, a consortium to develop a green hydrogen hub, will give the Leuna refinery access to future European hydrogen infrastructure and international markets for green hydrogen.

• TotalEnergies and Verbundnetz Gas (VNG)