© TotalEnergies

TotalEnergies has signed a legally binding agreement with German energy utility RWE to buy 30,000 tons of green hydrogen per year for 15 years, starting in 2030. The hydrogen will come from RWE’s 300MW GET H2 Nukleus electrolyzer in Lingen and be transported through a 600km pipeline to TotalEnergies’ Leuna refinery in Saxony-Anhalt. This deal supports TotalEnergies’ plan to cut emissions from hydrogen use in its European refineries by 2030.

Infrastructure and EU Compliance

RWE’s GET H2 Nukleus project, which will start operating in 2027, will produce hydrogen that qualifies as a renewable fuel of non-biological origin (RFNBO) under EU rules. Hydrogen storage at RWE’s Gronau-Epe site, operational from 2027, will ensure supply stability and compliance with the EU’s hour-by-hour renewable electricity production requirement. Leuna will also get hydrogen from a separate 30MW electrolyzer in Bad Lauchstädt, which will begin deliveries at the end of 2024.

Industry and Regulatory Support

Germany’s hydrogen network, expected to span 9,000km by 2032, will handle transport. The GET H2 Nukleus project and Gronau-Epe storage have received €619 million in public funding as Important Projects of Common European Interest (IPCEIs) under EU rules.

TotalEnergies launched a tender in 2023 for 500,000 tons of green hydrogen per year to supply its European refineries. RWE secured the deal through this process, with bids reportedly averaging €8 per kilogram. The hydrogen will help TotalEnergies meet the EU’s Renewable Energy Directive (REDIII) transport fuels mandate.

Strategic Impact

“This long-term contract for green hydrogen marks a key step in reducing CO2 emissions at our Leuna refinery,” said Patrick Pouyanné, CEO of TotalEnergies. “It will be enabled by the completion of the H2 backbone and strong government support.”

RWE’s CEO Markus Krebber highlighted the deal’s importance. “Securing this first long-term offtake agreement of its scale shows that hydrogen works with the right incentives.”