To purchase a total of 200 MW of renewable energy annually in China, Air Liquide has signed a long-term Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with China Three Gorges Renewables and China Three Gorges Corporation Jiangsu Branch, subsidiaries of China Three Gorges, one of China's largest producers and retailers of renewable electricity.
This is the first long-term PPA that Air Liquide has signed in China, joining other short-term renewable and low-carbon PPAs as well as PPAs in the US, Europe, and South Africa. In accordance with its ADVANCE strategic programme, it emphasizes Air Liquide's ambition to set the standard for the energy transition and reduce its carbon impact.
Jiangsu, the top province in China for Air Liquide in terms of electricity consumption, will be the source of the renewable electricity from solar and wind farms there. In comparison to current emissions, the electricity generated will result in annual CO2 emissions reductions of up to 120,000 tonnes. This is comparable to the emissions caused by electricity used by more than 300,000 Chinese homes.
Francois Abrial, Member of the Air Liquide Group’s Executive Committee supervising Asia Pacific, said: “As the first long-term PPA for renewable electricity signed by Air Liquide in China, this agreement represents a new significant step in the de carbonization of the Group's activities towards carbon neutrality. It will allow us to lower our carbon footprint but also to meet the growing demand from our customers for competitive low-carbon solutions. This is in line with our strategic plan ADVANCE, which inseparably combines financial and extra-financial performance.”