Air Liquide S.A. (Paris) is taking a major step forward in its European decarbonization efforts with the final investment decision to launch the construction of ELYgator, a 200 MW electrolyzer project in Maasvlakte, in the Port of Rotterdam.
This pivotal decision follows crucial support from the Dutch government through the OWE subsidy scheme, complementing prior support from the European Innovation Fund and the Dutch IPCEI program. Both this continued support, as well as the refined regulatory framework, were key to the project’s advancement.
As announced in February 2025, Air Liquide will invest more than 500 million euros to build, own and operate the electrolyzer, supplying notably TotalEnergies’ industrial platform through a long term contract. The ELYgator project will produce 23,000 tons of renewable hydrogen annually, serving industrial and heavy-duty mobility customers, reducing up to 300,000 tons of CO₂ emissions per year of operation.
This electrolyzer is a first of its kind integrating both Proton Exchange Membrane and Alkaline technologies on the same site. The project aims to be operational by the end of 2027.
Emilie Mouren-Renouard, Group Executive Committee member, notably in charge of supervising activities in Europe, said: “This investment decision is an important milestone and demonstrates our commitment to renewable hydrogen development. We firmly believe that robust, large-scale initiatives like ELYgator will deliver a real impact for the European industry and heavy-duty mobility sectors. We welcome the support from the Dutch Government, which has been instrumental in our decision to move forward with this significant decarbonization project. ELYgator illustrates our drive to develop concrete technologies and solutions that directly contribute to Europe’s ambitions towards climate neutrality by 2050.”