€500m Air Liquide green hydrogen plant gets go-ahead in Rotterdam, supplying TotalEnergies
Air Liquide has taken a final investment decision (FID) to build a 200 MW electrolyser at the Port of Rotterdam, committing more than €500 million to the project.
Dubbed ELYgator, the Maasvlakte-based facility will produce up to 23,000 tonnes of renewable hydrogen per year and is set to begin operation by the end of 2027.
The project is designed to serve both industrial clients – most notably TotalEnergies, under a long-term supply contract – and the heavy-duty transport sector.
Air Liquide said the hydrogen produced could cut as much as 300,000 tonnes of CO₂ annually, largely by displacing fossil hydrogen in industrial processes.
Dual-tech design and major public funding
The 200 MW system will combine Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) and Alkaline electrolyser technologies – a first for Air Liquide at this scale, and a move that reflects the firm’s efforts to hedge between fast-response and cost-efficient systems in a single integrated setup.
Government support was key to the decision, with the project backed by the Netherlands’ OWE subsidy scheme for large-scale hydrogen production, the IPCEI Hydrogen program, and funding from the European Innovation Fund.
The Dutch Ministry of Climate Policy and Green Growth supports both subsidy schemes via the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO).
A European-scale decarbonisation bet
Announced as a concept in February 2025, ELYgator now moves into the build phase with FID secured.
It is one of the largest renewable hydrogen investments in the Netherlands to date and part of Air Liquide’s wider push to scale low-carbon hydrogen infrastructure across Europe.
“This investment decision is an important milestone and demonstrates our commitment to renewable hydrogen development,” said Emilie Mouren-Renouard, member of Air Liquide’s Group Executive Committee. “ELYgator illustrates our drive to develop concrete technologies and solutions that directly contribute to Europe’s ambitions towards climate neutrality by 2050.”
The project is co-funded by the European Union.
