The Air Liquide ELYgator hydrogen project marks a big step forward in the fight against climate change in Europe, with the company choosing to build a 200 MW electrolyser in Maasvlakte, which is close to the Port of Rotterdam. This initiative strengthens our position as a leader in creating hydrogen with low carbon emissions and is a big step towards making European industry less carbon-intensive.
This major option comes after the Dutch government supplied considerable aid via the OWE subsidy scheme, the European Innovation Fund, and the Dutch IPCEI program. The project’s success depended on both this continued help and the better regulatory environment.
Air Liquide said in February 2025 that it would spend more than 500 million euros to develop, run, and take care of the Air Liquide ELYgator hydrogen project electrolyser.This will mean signing a long-term deal to provide TotalEnergies an industrial foundation. The ELYgator project will generate 23,000 tonnes of renewable hydrogen per year for individuals and companies who need to move heavy goods. It will also cut down on CO₂ emissions by as much as 300,000 tonnes every year it operates.
This electrolyser is the first to use both alkaline and proton exchange membrane technologies at the same time. The project should be up and running by the end of 2027.
“This investment decision is an important milestone and shows our commitment to developing renewable hydrogen,” said Emilie Mouren-Renouard, a member of the Group Executive Committee and in charge of operations in Europe. We are convinced that big, important initiatives like ELYgator will have a big impact on the European industrial and heavy-duty transportation industries. We choose to go on with this essential project to minimise carbon emissions thanks to the aid of the Dutch government. The ELYgator project illustrates how serious we are about creating genuine technologies and solutions that will help Europe meet its goal of becoming climate-neutral by 2050.