APD Air Products and Chemicals Inc

Deal Marks Second Gas Supply Agreement Between Air Products and Best Solar LEHIGH VALLEY, Pa., March 10 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Air Products (NYSE:APD) today announced it has signed a letter of intent (LOI) to provide liquid bulk and on-site gases to China's Best Solar Hi Tech Co., Ltd, which is building a new thin-film photovoltaic (PV) facility in Nanchang City, Jiangxi Province, China. The LOI between Air Products and Best Solar includes the long-term supply of hydrogen, nitrogen, helium and argon gases. When Best Solar's facility in Nanchang comes on-stream at its full capacity, it will have an annual solar module manufacturing capacity of 330 MW at Phase 1, using amorphous silicon thin-film technology. Late last year, Air Products also signed a turnkey gas supply contract to provide on-site, liquid bulk gases, specialty gases and gas equipment to Best Solar which is also building a new thin-film PV facility in the Wuzhong Economic Development Park in Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, China. The capacities of both Best Solar's Suzhou and Nanchang facilities will be 330MW. "We are proud to again be selected by Best Solar to support its PV facility in Nanchang in addition to our turkey gas contract for its Suzhou's facility. It is a great testimonial of our supply capabilities and leadership position in the PV market," said Corning Painter, vice president and general manager, Global Electronics, Air Products. "Our global PV business has shown great momentum, and we will continue to develop new offerings to meet the growing investments for PV markets." Air Products supplied more than 20 new projects in the Asia region serving both the crystalline and thin-film PV markets in 2008. The outlook for 2009 remains just as bright, as Air Products anticipates worldwide demand for gases, materials and equipment for PV manufacture to continue growing for the foreseeable future. Best Solar's thin-film PV modules, which convert sunlight directly into electricity, will be manufactured in much the same way as thin-film transistor-liquid crystal displays (TFT-LCD). As one of the leading suppliers to the TFT-LCD industry, Air Products is ideally suited to supply the new facility. With the demand for renewable energy and improved efficiency on the rise, Air Products is well positioned to take advantage of these developing markets with its expertise and project experience in areas including large-scale hydrogen supply for cleaner transportation fuels, developmental work on the hydrogen economy, hydrogen vehicle fueling and infrastructure, leading natural gas liquefaction technology and now the growing supply of gases and services for the photovoltaic industry. For more information on Air Products' photovoltaic offerings, please visit: http://www.airproducts.com/photovoltaics. Air Products (NYSE:APD) serves customers in industrial, energy, technology and healthcare markets worldwide with a unique portfolio of atmospheric gases, process and specialty gases, performance materials, and equipment and services. Founded in 1940, Air Products has built leading positions in key growth markets such as semiconductor materials, refinery hydrogen, home healthcare services, natural gas liquefaction, and advanced coatings and adhesives. The company is recognized for its innovative culture, operational excellence and commitment to safety and the environment. Air Products has annual revenues of over $10 billion, operations in more than 40 countries, and 21,000 employees around the globe. For more information, visit http://www.airproducts.com/. ***NOTE: This release may contain forward-looking statements. Actual results could vary materially, due to changes in current expectations. DATASOURCE: Air Products CONTACT: US: Robert Brown, +1-610-481-1192, , or Asia, Jessica Cheng, +1-852-2863-0585, , or Investor Inquiries: Nelson Squires, +1-610-481-7461, , all of Air Products Web Site: http://www.airproducts.com/

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