Engie and Equinor partner for Belgian blue hydrogen project

H2BE project in Ghent region will use autothermal reforming technology and ship liquid CO₂ to Norwegian North Sea storage site

French utility Engie and Norwegian state-owned energy firm Equinor are studying the feasibility of a blue hydrogen project in the Ghent area of Belgium. The H2BE project would be based on autothermal reforming (ATR) of natural gas combined with carbon capture and storage (CCS). Captured CO₂ will be shipped in liquid form for permanent storage under the Norwegian North Sea. ATR technology allows for decarbonisation rates above 95pc and can deliver hydrogen at large scale and competitive costs, according to Equinor. The project could start up “well before 2030” and commercial talks are underway with potential offtakers, predominantly from large, hard-to-abate industries, Equinor says. Engie an