Air Liquide to buy power from 1.5-GW Dutch offshore wind complex

French industrial gases supplier Air Liquide (EPA:AI) will procure electricity from a 115-MW portion of the 1.5-GW Hollandse Kust Zuid (HKZ) offshore wind farm in Dutch waters.

Air Liquide said on Tuesday it has sealed a 15-year power purchase agreement (PPA) with Swedish state-owned utility Vattenfall AB, which will become effective in 2025. The deal will see the French firm offtake around 500 GWh of the huge complex’s annual power generation.

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The contracted power volume will enable Air Liquide to supply its current industrial and medical gas production sites in the Benelux counties, and specifically in the Netherlands. The company intends to use the electricity for some of its large-scale decarbonisation projects, as well. According to its estimates, the PPA, its largest one to date, will help it meet over 30% of its current power requirements in the Benelux.

At present, Air Liquide operates 26 sites for the production, distribution and sale of industrial and medical gases in the Benelux. Last year, the company clinched a deal to power some of its facilities in the Netherlands with electricity from 25 MW of Vattenfall-owned offshore wind turbines.

Vattenfall is developing the HKZ offshore wind farm alongside German companies BASF SE (ETR:BAS) and Allianz Capital Partners. The subsidy-free plant is under construction and had the first of its 140 Siemens Gamesa turbines erected in April. It is expected to be fully operational in 2023.