TotalEnergies and RWE join forces on Renewable Hydrogen to decarbonize refinery

TotalEnergies has announced a strategic agreement with German developer RWE to supply renewable hydrogen to the Leuna refinery in Germany . The project, scheduled to come on stream in 2030, is part of TotalEnergies’ ambitious plans to decarbonise its European refineries and significantly reduce its carbon emissions.

A milestone in the European energy transition

The agreement states that RWE will build and operate a 300 MW electrolyser in Lingen, which will produce 30,000 tonnes of hydrogen per year . This hydrogen will be transported via a 600 km pipeline to the Leuna refinery, avoiding the emission of approximately 300,000 tonnes of CO₂ per year.

The project is the largest contract for low-emission hydrogen from an electrolyser in Germany and is in line with the European Union’s plans to expand hydrogen infrastructure . According to Patrick Pouyanné, Chairman and CEO of TotalEnergies, the contract is a key step in reducing the refinery’s CO₂ emissions and reinforces the partnership with RWE, which already collaborates on offshore wind projects in Germany and the Netherlands.

Decarbonization of Refineries

The company has already contracted more than 200,000 tons of renewable and renewable hydrogen per year for several refineries in France, Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany. The goal is to reduce annual CO₂ emissions by three million tons by 2030.

The Leuna refinery project represents a strategic step in the transition to a cleaner energy mix , with the support of the German authorities in implementing the necessary infrastructure. For Markus Krebber, CEO of RWE, the agreement demonstrates that green hydrogen is a viable solution when the right incentives are in place.

With this investment, TotalEnergies and RWE reaffirm their commitment to the energy transition, demonstrating the potential of green hydrogen as a key vector for the decarbonization of European industry.

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