Air Liquide's 200 MW electrolyzer project in the Netherlands enters the final selection round of European Innovation Fund

ELYgator, Air Liquide’s 200 MW electrolyzer project, was selected to be part of the final selection round of the European Innovation Fund’s first call for innovative renewable energy and low-carbon large-scale project proposals. To be located in Terneuzen, this electrolyzer is meant to produce large quantities of renewable hydrogen, contributing to the decarbonization of the Dutch and neighbouring countries’ industry and mobility markets. ELYgator is a new step in Air Liquide’s roadmap towards carbon neutrality in 2050 and the overarching target of 3GW of electrolyser capacity by 2030.

Implemented in the industrial basin of Terneuzen, in the Netherlands, this project would be connected to Air Liquide’s cross-border pipeline networks. This would allow for an optimized combination of flexibility and efficiency, best leveraging the output of renewable power production and taking into account its intermittency and seasonality specifics. The renewable hydrogen produced would be certified and compliant with RED II (Renewable Energy Directive II). The ELYgator project would enable the avoidance of about 3,3 million tonnes of CO₂ over the first ten years of the plant's operation, which is equivalent to the emissions of 3,6 million kilometers driven by truck.

Pioneering projects such as ELYgator are needed to achieve national and European climate ambitions, as it can play an important role in decarbonization, particularly for hard-to-abate sectors like industry and heavy mobility. To compete with current fossil-based production, governmental support and regulatory incentives such as an effective RED II implementation in both the Netherlands and Belgium will be crucial. Air Liquide will submit its final ELYgator application to the last round of the European Innovation Fund selection on June 23rd. 

Frédéric Despréaux, Vice President Cluster Northern Europe and CIS Countries at Air Liquide, said: "A concretization of the ELYgator project would contribute to the Dutch-Flemish cluster’s ambitions towards carbon neutrality in 2050, whilst using renewable electricity to its full potential with an efficient integration of hydrogen electrolysers in the entire value chain. It is also in line with Air Liquide’s ambitious Climate Objectives, of which hydrogen will be a major driver. “

Click here for more information on the ELYgator project

Air Liquide’s commitment to hydrogen
In full support of the 2015 Paris agreement, the Air Liquide commitments address the urgency of climate change and energy transition, targeting carbon neutrality by 2050. As a pioneer in hydrogen, the Group is convinced that hydrogen is a cornerstone of the energy transition. In the past 50 years, the Group has developed unique expertise enabling it to master the entire supply chain, from production and storage to distribution, contributing to the widespread use of hydrogen as a clean energy carrier for a wide range of applications such as  industrial usages and clean mobility. Air Liquide is committed to reaching several goals, investing approximately 8 billion Euro in the low-carbon hydrogen full value chain by 2035, and a total of 3 GW electrolysis capacity by 2030.

About Air Liquide Benelux
Air Liquide in Benelux comprises subsidiaries active in the production, distribution, and sale of industrial and medical gases, technologies and services of the Air Liquide Group. Founded in Belgium in 1906 and in the Netherlands in 1913, Air Liquide currently operates 28 industrial sites throughout the Benelux. The Group currently employs more than 1,200 people in this region, all activities taken together, and it supplies more than 65,000 customers and patients. The Air Liquide Benelux Large Industries business line operates a pipeline network stretching 2,290 kilometers, which supplies the industrial basins from Mons to Rotterdam.

The ELYgator project has received support from the EU’s Innovation Fund. The Innovation Fund is 100% funded by the EU Emissions Trading Systems. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or CINEA. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.

The ELYgator project is supported by the subsidy program IPCEI Hydrogen that the Dutch Enterprise Agency carries out on behalf of the Ministry of Economic Affairs & Climate.