LEHIGH VALLEY, Pa.,
March 30 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ --
Air Products (NYSE: APD), the leading global hydrogen provider, and
its subsidiary Air Products Canada Ltd. today announced three
customer supply contracts have been signed for hydrogen from its
Heartland Hydrogen Pipeline in Alberta,
Canada. Air Products will supply hydrogen by pipeline
to Shell Canada Energy, Sherritt International Corporation, and
Williams Energy (Canada) Inc.
Air Products had announced in December
2009 regulatory approval from the Alberta Energy Resource
Conservation Board for the approximately 30-mile pipeline to
provide hydrogen from its two operating production facilities in
Strathcona County near Edmonton, Alberta,
Canada. The pipeline will serve refiners, upgraders,
chemical processors and other industries in the Alberta Industrial
Heartland region and is scheduled to be commercial in 2010.
"Hydrogen is needed in this region to support the continued
operation and development of multiple industries in the area.
It is a major feedstock for bitumen upgrading and refining,
and is key to enabling the production of cleaner burning
transportation fuels. In 2010 our pipeline will be onstream
and begin supplying some customers in this announcement and several
others we expect to sign in the coming months," said Steve Losby, general manager–Canada at Air
Products. "This pipeline followed existing pipelines to
minimize the need for environmental disturbances for approximately
95 percent of its path and will meet the current and future
hydrogen needs of multiple industries in the area."
Shell Canada Energy's Scotford Upgrader, close to its refinery
near Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta,
uses hydrogen to upgrade high viscosity "extra heavy" crude oil
(called bitumen) into a wide range of synthetic crude oils.
The Scotford Upgrader was the first facility of this type to
be built in the Alberta Industrial Heartland region.
Sherritt International Corporation is a diversified natural
resource company. The hydrogen will be used to precipitate
nickel and cobalt from solution to produce high-purity metal
products.
Williams Energy (Canada), Inc.
will use Air Products' hydrogen to treat certain olefinic synthetic
gas liquids at its Redwater Fractionation facility. These
liquids are extracted from off-gas produced by oil-sands upgraders
and are valuable to the petrochemical industry. Williams
Energy (Canada), Inc. is
Canada's only oil-sands off-gas
processor.
Globally, Air Products' pipeline operational expertise is
evidenced by its network of systems. Pipelines offer a safe,
robust and reliable supply of hydrogen to the refinery and
petrochemical industry around the world. Besides this newly
announced pipeline in the Alberta Industrial Heartland, Air
Products also has a hydrogen pipeline in Sarnia, Ontario, Canada, and operates the
largest hydrogen pipeline network in the
United States Gulf Coast, as well as pipeline systems in
California in the U.S. and in
Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
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. In fiscal 2009, Air Products had revenues of
$8.3 billion, operations in over 40
countries, and 18,900 employees around the globe. For more
information, visit www.airproducts.com.
***NOTE: This release may contain forward-looking statements.
Actual results could vary materially, due to changes in current
expectations.
SOURCE Air Products