Name of the Project
Masshylia green hydrogen project.

Location
Châteauneuf-les-Martigues in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur South region, in France.

Project Owner/s
Total and Engie have signed a cooperation agreement to design, develop, build and operate the project.

Project Description
The Masshylia project is France’s biggest renewable hydrogen production site. It is located at the heart of Total’s La Mède biorefinery and powered by solar farms, with a total capacity of more than 100 MW. The proposed 40 MW electrolyser will produce 5 t/d of green hydrogen to meet the needs of the biofuel production process at the La Mède biorefinery, preventing carbon dioxide emissions of about 15 000 t/y.

The project integrates five innovations that prefigure the industry’s decarbonation solutions:

∙ a digital piloting system for the continuous supply of hydrogen, with the real-time management of solar electricity production;

∙ optimising the integration of several photovoltaic (PV) farms supplying the electrolyser to minimise energy losses and limit grid congestion;

∙ large-scale hydrogen storage to balance intermittent electricity production and continuous hydrogen consumption;

∙ a direct current connection between a PV farm and the electrolyser to improve the energy balance; and

∙ enhanced industrial safety, owing to the use of three-dimensional digital models for each component of the installation.

Beyond this first phase, new renewable farms may be developed by the partners for the electrolyser.

Potential Job Creation
Not stated.

Capital Expenditure
The project has applied for subsidies from the French and European authorities.

Planned Start/End Date
Total and Engie aim to start construction of the facilities in 2022, following the completion of the advanced engineering study. Production is expected to start in 2024.

Latest Developments
None stated.

Key Contracts, Suppliers and Consultants
None stated.

Contact Details for Project Information
Total media relations, tel +33 1 47 44 46 99 or email presse@total.com.
Engie media relations, tel +33 1 44 22 24 35 or email engiepress@engie.com.