Air Products opens new hydrogen facility in Fort Saskatchewan

Air Products and its subsidiary, Air Products Canada Ltd., held a ribbon cutting ceremony to formally dedicate its new world scale hydrogen production facility in Ft. Saskatchewan, AB, located 20 miles northeast of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. The Air Products facility produces over 150 million ft³/f of hydrogen and is connected to Air Products' existing hydrogen pipeline network, which supplies refiners, upgraders, chemical processors and other industries in the Alberta Industrial Heartland region. Air Products employees were joined by customers, elected officials and community stakeholders to commemorate the ribbon-cutting ceremony at the facility.

"This plant and its connection to our pipeline network are key to meeting the growing hydrogen demands of our customers located in Alberta's Industrial Heartland, which is a very important region to Air Products from a business growth standpoint. We are the leading global hydrogen provider, the number one provider of hydrogen in the region, and are excited to be expanding upon that position," said Marie Ffolkes, President – Industrial Gases, Americas at Air Products.

The new hydrogen facility features the latest technology advancements to maximise energy efficiency. The plant configuration and deployed technologies support Air Products' overall sustainability goals of reducing energy consumption and emissions.

Refineries, upgraders and other customers in Alberta's Industrial Heartland have increasing demands for hydrogen in order to produce cleaner burning transportation fuels. The new plant, as well as Air Products' two existing hydrogen production facilities located near Edmonton, are joined via a 30 mile pipeline network to provide a very reliable source of hydrogen for these industries.

"We have customers in different parts of the world connected to our hydrogen pipeline systems, and they have noted the benefit of being connected to a large hydrogen pipeline network when it comes to enhanced supply reliability. We believe our model will continue to serve the Heartland customers well," said Ffolkes. Ffolkes added that 95% of the Heartland pipeline followed the path of existing pipelines to minimise the need for environmental disturbances.

Pipelines offer a safe, robust and reliable supply of hydrogen to the refinery and petrochemical industry around the world. Globally, Air Products' pipeline operational expertise is evidenced by its network of systems. Besides the Heartland Hydrogen Pipeline system, Air Products also has a hydrogen pipeline in Sarnia, Ontario, Canada, and operates the world's largest hydrogen pipeline network in the United States Gulf Coast, as well as pipeline systems in California in the US and Rotterdam, the Netherlands.

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.

Adapted from press release by Rosalie Starling

Read the article online at: https://www.hydrocarbonengineering.com/refining/08072016/air-products-cuts-ribbon-on-new-world-scale-hydrogen-plant-3665/