LEHIGH VALLEY, Pa.,
June 6, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Air
Products (NYSE: APD), the leading global hydrogen provider, today
announced that Valero Energy Corporation has awarded the company a
combined additional supply of over 200 million standard cubic feet
per day of hydrogen for Valero's refineries in St. Charles, Louisiana and Port Arthur, Texas. As part of this
award, Air Products has also proposed development of a new world
scale steam methane reformer hydrogen production facility to be
located in St. Charles, which is
to be on stream during the second half of 2013. The facility would
be connected to Air Products' industry-leading Gulf Coast hydrogen
pipeline supply network, which supplies multiple refinery and
petrochemical companies in the region.
"This supply arrangement builds on our well-established
relationship with Valero. We already provide hydrogen to help meet
their product demands with our two steam methane reformer hydrogen
production facilities in Port
Arthur. This proposed new hydrogen facility would help
to serve Valero's St. Charles and
Port Arthur locations, and also
help to meet additional demands of customers on the Air Products'
pipeline system," said Wilbur Mok,
vice president - North America Tonnage Gases at Air Products.
"The facility will be connected to our Gulf Coast hydrogen
pipeline network, which increases product supply reliability, and
provides flexibility to meet increased hydrogen needs through the
largest hydrogen pipeline network in the Gulf Coast."
Air Products has been supplying hydrogen via pipeline to
Valero's St Charles refinery since
1997 and also to Port Arthur since
1996. Valero's hydrogen demand is increasing at both facilities
with the expansion of its hydrocracking capacity.
Air Products is working toward increasing its hydrogen pipeline
supply capability in the Gulf Coast to make it the world's largest
hydrogen pipeline network. Air Products announced plans to
construct a new 180-mile long pipeline in 2010. The new pipeline
extension, which is in the project execution phase, will connect
Air Products' Texas hydrogen
system to the Louisiana hydrogen
system. Once complete, Air Products' hydrogen pipeline supply
network will stretch from the Houston Ship Channel in Texas to New
Orleans, creating the world's largest hydrogen plant and
pipeline supply network. This integrated pipeline system will
unite over 20 hydrogen plants and over 600 miles of pipelines.
It will supply the Louisiana
and Texas refinery and
petrochemical industries with over 1.2 billion cubic feet of
hydrogen per day. The new Gulf Coast hydrogen pipeline
network is expected to be operational in 2012.
Globally, Air Products' hydrogen pipeline operational expertise
is evidenced by the 40 year safe operation of its network of
systems. Pipelines offer a safe, robust and reliable supply of
hydrogen to the refinery and petrochemical industry around the
world. In addition to the Gulf Coast hydrogen pipeline
system, Air Products also has hydrogen pipeline networks operating
around the world in the U.S. in Southern
California; in Canada in
Sarnia, Ontario, and Edmonton, Alberta; and in The Netherlands in Rotterdam.
The proposed St. Charles
hydrogen facility would be built through the global hydrogen
alliance between Air Products and Technip. The hydrogen plant will
feature the latest technology advancements to maximize energy
efficiency and emissions reduction. The enhanced SMR design targets
optimal heat integration and minimal loss of heat to the
environment, which in turn lowers natural gas feedstock
consumption. These efforts and other productivity improvements
support Air Products' overall sustainability goals of reducing
energy consumption and emissions.
This Air Products and Technip worldwide alliance, which has
built over 30 hydrogen production facilities, continues to provide
the worldwide refining industry with competitive technology and
world-class safety and reliability. Technip provides the design and
construction expertise for steam reformers while Air Products
provides the gas separation technology. Air Products, through its
extensive operating network, and Technip, from its large reference
base, also bring effective operational and engineering knowledge to
"design-in" high reliability and efficiency.
Hydrogen is widely used in petroleum refining processes to
remove impurities found in crude oil such as sulfur, olefins and
aromatics for meeting the product fuels specifications.
Removing these components allows gasoline and diesel to burn
cleaner and thus makes hydrogen a critical component in the
production of cleaner fuels needed by modern, efficient internal
combustion engines.
About Air Products
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 2010, Air Products had revenues of
$9 billion, operations in over 40
countries, and 18,300 employees around the globe. For more
information, visit www.airproducts.com.
About Technip
Technip is a world leader in project management, engineering and
construction for the energy industry.
From the deepest Subsea oil & gas developments to the
largest and most complex Offshore and Onshore infrastructures, our
23,000 people are constantly offering the best solutions and most
innovative technologies to meet the world's energy challenges.
Present in 48 countries, Technip has state-of-the-art industrial
assets on all continents and operates a fleet of specialized
vessels for pipeline installation and subsea construction.
The Technip share is listed on Euronext Paris exchange and over
the counter (OTC) in the USA.
For more information, visit: www.technip.com.
***NOTE: This release may contain forward-looking statements
within the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities
Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements are
based on management's reasonable expectations and assumptions as of
the date of this release regarding important risk factors. Actual
performance and financial results may differ materially from
projections and estimates expressed in the forward-looking
statements because of many factors not anticipated by management,
including risk factors described in the Company's Form 10K for its
fiscal year ended September 30,
2010.
SOURCE Air Products