French industrial gases giant Air Liquide completed construction of the world’s largest proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrolyser system to produce green hydrogen in Quebec on 26 January.

It was a small but important step in the company’s goal of becoming a leading supplier of low-carbon hydrogen and related technologies to the world. It has committed to provide only low-carbon hydrogen for the mobility market as of 2030.

The 20MW PEM electrolyser will be made up of four 5MW modules provided by US-based engine maker Cummins. It is twice as large as the previous record holder in Fukushima, Japan—opened last March—and boosts hydrogen capacity at Air Liquide’s Becancour plant by 50pc.

Becancour's proximity to the main industrial markets in Canada and the US will help ensure they are supplied with low-carbon hydrogen for industrial use and mobility

The new system produces up to 8.2t/d of green hydrogen, which would be enough for approximately 2,000 personal fuel-cell vehicles. It cuts CO₂ by 27,000t/yr compared with the production of same volume of grey hydrogen, which is equivalent to 10,000 fewer cars on the road.

According to Bertrand Masselot, president and CEO of Air Liquide Canada, the green hydrogen produced at the plant is economically competitive with grey hydrogen. This is due to the strategic location of the city of Becancour and the availability of low-cost hydroelectricity from utility Hydro Quebec.

Becancour's proximity to the main industrial markets in Canada and the US will help ensure they are supplied with low-carbon hydrogen for industrial use and mobility, according to an Air Liquide statement.

Susan Ellerbusch, CEO, Air Liquide North America, said: “The fight against climate change is at the heart of the Air Liquide Group's strategy. The inauguration of the Becancour site in Canada marks an important step in the implementation of this strategy.

“With this world’s first, Air Liquide confirms its commitment to the production of low-carbon hydrogen on an industrial scale and its ability to effectively deploy the related technological solutions. Hydrogen will play a key role in the energy transition and the emergence of a low-carbon society.”

Low-carbon goals

Air Liquide has become a major player along the entire hydrogen supply chain over the past 50 years, from production and storage to distribution and end-user applications, especially for mobility.

The company is continuing to invest across the chain and envisions low-carbon hydrogen as a major revenue driver moving forward, based on recent investments and a number of company statements and documents.

20MW – Electrolyser capacity at Becancour plant

Air Liquide says the production and sale of clean hydrogen and related technologies could alone double corporate revenue between now and 2050.

Consultancy McKinsey predicts the global market for these products could be $2.5tn/yr by 2050, and Air Liquide is targeting a 1pc share. The company’s revenue was €22bn ($26.5bn) in 2019.

European projects

In addition to the Becancour electrolyser, Air Liquide has also invested in low-carbon hydrogen production for the California market and a project to help Germany’s Thyssenkrupp Steel utilise hydrogen to produce low-carbon steel. It has also designed and installed more than 120 hydrogen fuelling stations around the world.

Air Liquide took a 40pc stake on 20 January in fellow French company H2V Normandy, a subsidiary of H2V Product, which aims to build a large-scale electrolyser complex of up to 200MW for the production of green hydrogen in its home market. 

The Port Jerome project is part of a programme to decarbonise refining and chemical activities on the Seine Valley axis in Normandy, one of Air Liquide's core industrial bases. The project will prevent the emission of 250,000t/yr of CO₂.

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Author: Vincent Lauerman