Air Products’ Texas Plant Onstream Adds Hydrogen Supply to Gulf Coast Pipeline Network

Air Products (NYSE: APD), the leading global hydrogen provider, today announced that it has increased the supply capacity of its Gulf Coast hydrogen pipeline supply network by approximately 40 million standard cubic feet per day. The additional product supply results from Air Products’ hydrogen production facility in Mont Belvieu, Texas, which is onstream and processing an additional supply of hydrogen-rich off-gas from a propane dehydrogenation plant operated by Enterprise Products Operating LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Enterprise Products Partners L.P.

“Air Products continually looks for additional sources of hydrogen to add product supply capacity to our well-established pipeline network system along the Gulf Coast. We had an existing relationship with Enterprise and are pleased to enhance and expand that relationship by processing additional levels of hydrogen-rich off-gas. One of Air Products’ company goals is to always provide excellent service to our customers. Increasing the hydrogen capacity, supply reliability and flexibility of our pipeline system is a prime example of just that endeavor,” said Marie Ffolkes, president, Industrial Gases Americas at Air Products.

The Mont Belvieu Air Products hydrogen production facility uses the company’s proven pressure swing adsorption technology, which is already in place at numerous other locations around the world. The increased amounts of off-gas processing and hydrogen production capability, under a new long-term agreement, builds on Air Products’ successful processing of off-gas from Enterprise at the same complex since 1994. 

Overall, Air Products’ Gulf Coast hydrogen system is the world’s largest plant and pipeline network and provides over 1.4 billion standard cubic feet of hydrogen per day to refinery and petrochemicals customers. The 600-mile pipeline, which is fed by 22 Air Products’ hydrogen production facilities, stretches from the Houston Ship Channel in Texas to New Orleans, Louisiana.

Pipelines offer a safe, robust and reliable supply of hydrogen to the refinery and petrochemical industries around the world. Globally, Air Products’ pipeline operational expertise is evidenced by nearly 40 years of safe operation of its network of systems. Beyond its Gulf Coast pipeline system, Air Products also operates pipelines in California in the U.S.; in Rotterdam, the Netherlands; Sarnia, Ontario, Canada; and also, via an extension to its existing Heartland Hydrogen Pipeline in Alberta, Canada, stretching from Edmonton to Scotford. 

Hydrogen is widely used in petroleum refining processes to remove impurities found in crude oil such as sulphur, olefins and aromatics to meet 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.