Air Products plans Europe’s largest blue H2 plant

Scheduled to be operational by 2026, the facility will produce blue hydrogen for ExxonMobil’s Rotterdam refinery and additional customers through Air Products’ hydrogen pipeline network. Once completed, it will be the largest blue hydrogen plant in Europe.

“Air Products has been actively present and investing in Rotterdam for decades,” said chief operating officer Dr Samir J. Serhan.

“Industrial companies here are continually looking for ways to create economies of scale, drive energy efficiencies and ultimately decarbonise.

“By sequestering CO2 through Porthos and bringing additional blue hydrogen to ExxonMobil and other customers, we can help generate a cleaner future.”

The carbon capture retrofit will capture CO2 emissions from both Air Products’ hydrogen plant and ExxonMobil’s refinery, reducing Air Products’ CO2 emissions in the Rotterdam port area by more than half.

The captured CO2 will be linked to the Porthos system, a large-scale CO2 transport and storage project that will permanently store CO2 in depleted gas fields 20 km offshore in the North Sea.

Alongside this, Air Products is advancing plans to provide green hydrogen through imported renewable energy, further contributing to decarbonising the region.

Recently energy leader Qair has invested heavily in Haropa Port in Le Havre as it positions itself as a key investment hub for the international trade in blue hydrogen.