Air Liquide and Sasol have signed new Power Purchase Agreements (PPA) with the global wind and solar company Mainstream Renewable Power, for the long-term supply of a capacity of 97.5 MW of renewable power to Sasol’s Secunda site, in South Africa, where Air Liquide operates the biggest oxygen production site in the world. This is the third set of PPAs signed by Air Liquide and Sasol, after those announced in the first quarter of 2023 with Enel Green Power and TotalEnergies with its partner Mulilo. Together, these PPAs represent a total renewable power capacity of around 580 MW. For Air Liquide, these contracts will contribute to the targeted reduction by 30% to 40% of the CO₂ emissions associated with oxygen production in Secunda by 2031.

Within the framework of these PPAs with Air Liquide and Sasol, Mainstream will create a local company with strong socio-economic development commitments which will build a solar farm located in the Free State province. This renewable energy production facility is scheduled to be operational in 2025.

Nicolas Poirot, Chief Executive Officer of the Africa Middle East & India hub, said: “Together with our long-term partner Sasol, we have secured massive amounts of renewable energy generation capacity. This will significantly contribute to the decarbonisation of our operations in Secunda and actively support the development of renewable energies in South Africa, for the benefit of the South African electrical system and ultimately of the South African society in the context of a Just Transition. In line with Air Liquide’s ADVANCE strategic plan, these PPAs also demonstrate the Group’s capacity to collaborate with its customers to provide solutions which contribute to the decarbonization of its assets as well as of its clients.”

Air Liquide acquired Sasol’s 16 oxygen production units in Secunda and has been operating them since June 2021, in the framework of a long-term supply contract with its partner. Including another Air Separation Unit (ASU) it already operated for Sasol, Air Liquide operates a total of 17 ASUs in Secunda, with a total capacity of 47,000 tonnes/day of oxygen. Air Liquide plans to reduce by 30% to 40% the CO₂ emissions (Scope 2) arising from the 16 oxygen production units it acquired from Sasol through a multi-year investment and modernization plan and a steep increase of the site’s procurement of renewable energies.

A world leader in gases, technologies and services for Industry and Health, Air Liquide is present in 73 countries with approximately 67,100 employees and serves more than 3.9 million customers and patients. Oxygen, nitrogen and hydrogen are essential small molecules for life, matter and energy. They embody Air Liquide’s scientific territory and have been at the core of the company’s activities since its creation in 1902.

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Taking action today while preparing the future is at the heart of Air Liquide’s strategy. With ADVANCE, its strategic plan for 2025, Air Liquide is targeting a global performance, combining financial and extra-financial dimensions. Positioned on new markets, the Group benefits from major assets such as its business model combining resilience and strength, its ability to innovate and its technological expertise. The Group develops solutions contributing to climate and the energy transition—particularly with hydrogen—and takes action to progress in areas of healthcare, digital and high technologies.

Air Liquide’s revenue amounted to more than 29.9 billion euros in 2022. Air Liquide is listed on the Euronext Paris stock exchange (compartment A) and belongs to the CAC 40, CAC 40 ESG, EURO STOXX 50, FTSE4Good and DJSI Europe indexes.