The industrial gases company Air Products and the chemical producer Nobian have entered into a long-term purchase agreement for certified hydrogen. The hydrogen is produced at Nobian's facility in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, and meets the requirements for renewable fuels of non-biological origin (RFNBO). Both companies announced the agreement on August 26, 2026. It builds on a collaboration that has already lasted 30 years.
Largest RFNBO-certified plant in Europe
Nobian produces the hydrogen in its chlor-alkali electrolysis plant in Rotterdam, which is powered by renewable energy. According to the company, the site received the ISCC-EU certification for RFNBO in 2025 as the first major European producer of renewable hydrogen. The annual production capacity is more than 14,000 tonnes of hydrogen, equivalent to an energy equivalent of 1.68 petajoules. According to Nobian, this makes the plant the largest RFNBO-certified hydrogen facility in Europe.
Air Products takes over the marketing and distribution of the certified hydrogen through its existing network. The company supplies hydrogen in both gaseous and liquid forms. According to Air Products, the agreement is intended to help customers achieve their compliance and decarbonisation goals and strengthen Rotterdam's role as a hydrogen hub.
Background RED III
The agreement targets the early demand for RED III-compliant hydrogen in the Netherlands. The revised EU Renewable Energy Directive (RED III) stipulates that by 2030, at least one percent of fuels in the transport sector and 42 percent of hydrogen used in industry must come from RFNBO-certified sources. Target groups for the certified hydrogen are fuel suppliers and industrial users, including refineries.
“This agreement is an important milestone for certified green hydrogen in Europe. Together with Air Products, we are further advancing the development of the European hydrogen economy,” says Markus Mingenbach, Senior Vice President Chlor-Alkali & Chloromethanes at Nobian. It is “Grow Greener Together in practice – two leading industrial partners working together to advance the European energy transition.”
Caroline Stancell, Vice President Marketing and Growth Europe and Africa at Air Products, points to the short-term availability: “By expanding access to RFNBO-certified hydrogen from an established source, we are helping customers meet the requirements of RED III while advancing their decarbonisation strategies. These certified molecules are already available today, and Air Products' network can bring them to market in a reliable and practical way.”
About the companies
Air Products, based in the USA, claims to be the world's largest hydrogen supplier. The company achieved a revenue of twelve billion US dollars in the fiscal year 2025 and operates in around 50 countries.
Nobian is a European manufacturer of high-purity salt, low-carbon base chemicals, and operator of underground energy storage caverns. The company operates production sites in the Netherlands, Germany, and Denmark and employs more than 1,600 people. Owners are the Carlyle Group and the sovereign wealth fund GIC.
