Total and Engie have signed a cooperation agreement to design, develop, build and operate what will be France’s largest renewable hydrogen production site.
On 13 January, Total outlined how the Masshylia project, to be located at its La Mède biorefinery, will be powered by solar farms with a collective capacity of more than 100MW. A 40MW electrolyser will produce 5 tonnes of green hydrogen per day to meet the needs of the biofuel production process, saving 15,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions per year.
The project will be enhanced through five innovations, including a digital piloting system for the continuous supply of hydrogen, with real-time management of solar production, and large-scale hydrogen storage to balance intermittent electricity production with continuous hydrogen consumption. It will also optimise the integration of several photovoltaic farms supplying the electrolyser, minimising energy losses and limiting grid congestion; have a direct current connection between a photovoltaic farm and the electrolyser to improve the energy balance; and feature enhanced industry safety, owed to the use of 3D digital models for each component of the installation.
Construction is targeted to get underway in 2022, following the completion of an advanced engineering study. Production is earmarked for 2024 – subject to financial support and the necessary public authorisations.
