TotalEnergies and VNG join forces to decarbonize the Leuna refinery in Germany

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.

The agreement between TotalEnergies and VNG contributes to the decarbonization of the Leuna refinery and will reduce the site’s annual CO₂ 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.

“This project is fully in line with TotalEnergies’ ambition to decarbonize all hydrogen used in its European refineries by 2030. Our ambition is to replace the gray hydrogen with low carbon hydrogen, representing a reduction of 3 million tons of CO₂ per year by 2030,” said Jean-Marc Durand, Senior Vice President, TotalEnergies Refining Base Chemicals Europe.

TotalEnergies and the decarbonization of its European refineries

TotalEnergies focuses on decarbonizing the hydrogen used in its European refineries, a move that should reduce CO₂ emissions by 3 Mt per year by 2030. In addition to our partnership, launched in 2021 at the Normandy refinery, TotalEnergies and Air Liquide signed a partnership agreement in November 2022 to build an innovative, circular system at the Grandpuits biorefinery to produce and harness renewable hydrogen. At La Mède, the Masshylia project to produce hydrogen in partnership with Engie is moving forward.