A hydrogen refuelling station located in the heart of Paris has taken on a new look in the lead up to the Olympic and Paralympic Games, to begin in just over 100 days time.
Designed and installed by Air Liquide at Place de l’Alma, the facility will act as a showcase of the network of stations deployed in Ile-de-France (Greater Paris area).
According to the company, this network will supply renewable hydrogen to Paris 2024’s official fleet, which includes 500 hydrogen-powered Toyota Mirai cars.
“Paris 2024 represents a fantastic opportunity to accelerate the development and the adoption of hydrogen, a key solution to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, in particular for intensive transport,” said Armelle Levieux, member of Air Liquide’s Executive Committee overseeing hydrogen activities.
Figures from the Ministere de la Transition Ecologique reveal that transport accounts for around 25% of CO2 emissions globally.
In response to this, Air Liquide has multiplied by ten the volumes of hydrogen supply to mobility worldwide in two years.
A fleet of hydrogen-powered Toyota Mirai cars showcased at Paris’ Nuit Blanche in 2022. ©Air Liquide
“Present across the entire hydrogen value chain, Air Liquide contributes to the development of hydrogen, an essential molecule in the energy transition,” added Levieux.
Hydrogen has shown to be particularly suitable for long distance travel. For a typical hydrogen-powered car, a five minute fill-up can fuel a distance of up to 650 km.
The industrial gas major announced its support for the Games last year under the banner of organising ‘more sustainable Games’.
Speaking at the time, President of Paris 2024 Tony Estanguet, emphasised the need to rethink all the major features of the event to ensure that the Games are made more sustainable.
“By supplying hydrogen of renewable origin for the vehicles for athletes and officials, Air Liquide will help us reduce the carbon footprint of the Games,” he said.
Renewable origin means that the hydrogen will be produced from water electrolysis or biomethane with guarantees of origin.
Paris Region has pledged to make renewable energies account for 40% of Paris’ energy consumption by 2030 and for 100% by 2050.
To reach these targets, Paris Region says it has developed and implemented a range of measures to drive the growth of low-carbon hydrogen.
This will see the deployment of 6.5GW (gigawatts) of electrolysers to be deployed in France by 2030 and a goal to make hydrogen comprise 12% of Europe’s energy mix by 2050.
“Hydrogen is no longer an anecdotal solution for clean mobility but an essential element in meeting the challenges of energy transition and air quality,” said Thomas Hemmerdinger, Project Manager of the Energy Transition and Circular Economy for Institute Paris Region.
“One of the challenges now is to develop a green hydrogen production chain, based on local renewable energy sources, at a competitive price and with a distribution system that ensures a coherent and secure network throughout the region with clearly identified users.”
Earlier this year, the industrial gas major narrowed its focus on hydrogen refuelling by launching a joint venture with TotalEnergies called TEAL Mobility.
The partnership aims to accelerate the development of hydrogen for heavy duty trucks by offering a network of 100 stations on major corridors during the next decade.
Around 20 stations in France, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg and Germany are slated to come on stream this year.
