TotalEnergies and VNG, a German natural gas distribution company, have signed an agreement to initiate the future supply of green hydrogen to the Leuna refinery operated by TotalEnergies. Under the agreement, green hydrogen will be produced from renewable electricity with a 30 MW electrolyzer in Bad Lauchstädt, built and operated by VNG with its partner Uniper.
This agreement contributes to the decarbonization of the Leuna refinery and will reduce the site’s annual carbon dioxide emissions by up to 80,000 tons by 2030. Furthermore, the pipeline connection to the Bad Lauchstädt Energy Park will give the Leuna refinery access to the future European hydrogen infrastructure and the international markets for green hydrogen.
Trial operation of the hydrogen connection will take place at the beginning of 2025, with full-on transport of green hydrogen expected later that year. Although TotalEnergies does use hydrogen in its refining operations across Europe, much of this is currently grey hydrogen. While grey hydrogen is created by treating natural gas, a process that produces carbon dioxide as a by-product, green hydrogen is formed by electrolysers powered by renewable energy.
In June 2023, TotalEnergies signed a power purchase agreement (PPA) to supply electricity generated by Kazakhstan’s 1 GW Mirny wind farm to the state-owned Financial Settlement Centre of Renewable Energy. The wind farm, which would be situated in the country’s Zhambyl region, would have a 600 MWh battery energy storage system to ensure a steady supply of energy. The development of the wind farm is anticipated to cost $1.4 billion in total.
