LEHIGH VALLEY, Pa.,
Aug. 9, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Air
Products (NYSE: APD), the leading global hydrogen provider, today
announced a long-term agreement with Motiva Enterprises LLC for an
additional supply of hydrogen to be used by Motiva's Convent, Louisiana refinery. The hydrogen
supply, which has already commenced, is from Air Products'
industry-leading Gulf Coast hydrogen pipeline supply network that
serves multiple refinery and petrochemical companies in the region.
The agreement includes the ability for Air Products to direct
some of the hydrogen product supplied to Motiva's Convent Refinery
to other Motiva refineries along Air Products' pipeline network in
both Texas and Louisiana.
"Having a highly reliable pipeline supply capability already in
place was important to this contract. We have supplied
Motiva's Convent facility for
years and have demonstrated our ability to reliably supply product
to the refinery. The additional flexibility in supply options
available to customers when we connect the Texas and Louisiana hydrogen pipelines creates a lot of
value. As the market leader we are always working to be
responsive to customers' additional hydrogen demand," said
Wilbur Mok, vice president - North
America Tonnage Gases at Air Products.
Air Products has been supplying hydrogen to Motiva at
Convent in part from an on-site
steam methane reformer facility since 2006. The additional
hydrogen supply will come directly from Air Products' Gulf Coast
pipeline supply network. Currently, Air Products operates
hydrogen pipelines in both Texas
and Louisiana. Work is
underway to connect the two systems to make it the world's largest
hydrogen plant and pipeline supply 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. 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.
This is the second recent announcement of new hydrogen supply
agreements sourced from Air Products' Gulf Coast pipeline supply
network. Yesterday, Air Products announced the long-term
supply of hydrogen to be used at Shell's Deer Park, Texas refinery beginning in
mid-2013.
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.
Hydrogen is widely used in petroleum refining processes to
remove impurities found in crude oil such as sulfur, olefins and
aromatics to meet 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.
***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