HOUSTON, July 17 /PRNewswire/ -- Air Liquide America Corporation is
pleased to announce the successful startup of a significant expansion to its
hydrogen production facilities in Freeport, Texas. In addition, Air Liquide's
existing hydrogen pipeline network from Sweeny, Texas, to Chocolate Bayou has
significantly expanded to include new lines from Freeport to Texas City,
Texas. Through this expansion, Air Liquide has begun supplying hydrogen to
The Dow Chemical Company's Freeport plant, and Valero Refining Company's Texas
City refinery. The expansion is the result of a combination of creative
solutions by Air Liquide, Valero and Dow that will provide Air Liquide with an
additional source of hydrogen, which its customers will utilize in enhancing
the long-term performance of their plants.
Through a long-term lease from Dow, Air Liquide now operates and maintains
a hydrogen purification and compression system located inside Dow's Freeport
plant. Air Liquide plans to further upgrade the unit this year. When the
upgrade is complete, the combined hydrogen production from the new unit and
Air Liquide's existing hydrogen/carbon monoxide plant in Freeport will be
dramatically increased.
By way of pipeline additions, acquisitions and long-term leases, the
expanded hydrogen pipeline network and production capacity allows Air Liquide
to begin supplying additional product to its existing customers in the
Freeport area.
"By combining our solutions-oriented approach with the strengths of our
existing customer base and hydrogen pipeline network in the area, Air Liquide
found a way to maximize the use of existing assets, and provide greater
reliability to our hydrogen customers," stated Air Liquide's Antony Young,
vice president, Market Groups N. America and Global Oil and Gas Market Group.
"This enhanced reliability is inherent in a multi-sourced, multi-customer
pipeline network, a concept Air Liquide first introduced to the Texas Gulf
Coast and continues to cultivate," Young said.
"Air Liquide's network gives us a dependable source of hydrogen while
allowing us to stay focused on our core business, " said John Hohnholt, senior
vice president of refining, economics and planning for Valero. "Ultimately,
this translates to increased productivity and profitability for our Texas City
operations. Expansion of our hydroprocessing capacity is a key strategy for
Valero as we grow our production of ultra-low sulfur transportation fuels.
Hydrogen has become a valuable resource from planned regulation changes in
gasoline and on road diesel specifications."
"Dow is excited to have the opportunity to work with Air Liquide to
increase system reliability while maximizing sales of hydrogen-rich streams
from our Texas Operations to Air Liquide's expanded network," said Jim Doubek,
Dow's global business director for hydrogen.
This project in Freeport is the latest of 14 hydrogen/syngas developments
worldwide that Air Liquide has successfully started up since 1997,
significantly increasing its total combined hydrogen and carbon monoxide
production capacity.
Air Liquide is a global producer of industrial, specialty and medical
gases. Its worldwide headquarters in Paris, France reports annual sales of
$6.2 billion (US dollars) (Euros 6.5 billion) in 1999, with sales outside of
France accounting for 75% of revenues. The company employs over 29,000 people
in more than 60 countries. Air Liquide supplies oxygen, nitrogen, hydrogen
and many other gases to such varied industries as iron and steel, refining,
welding, chemicals, glass, electronics, pulp and paper, metallurgy, food-
processing, healthcare and aerospace. Air Liquide also develops a wide
variety of services that range from managing gas-related operations at
customer sites and finding new energy solutions for manufacturers, to
providing healthcare services for treating patients in the home. By combining
new technologies and services, Air Liquide develops gas solutions that improve
industrial performance and help protect the environment.
The Dow Chemical Company, with its subsidiaries, is a global science and
technology-based company that develops and manufactures a portfolio of
chemicals, plastics and agricultural products and services for customers in
168 countries around the world. With annual sales of more than $18 billion,
Dow conducts its operations through 8 global businesses employing 39,000.
Valero Energy Corporation is a Fortune 500 company based in San Antonio,
with more than 3,000 employees and 1999 revenues of approximately $8 billion.
The company currently owns and operates six refineries in Texas, California,
Louisiana and New Jersey with a combined throughput capacity of 950,000 BPD,
making it the nation's second-largest independent refining company. Valero is
recognized throughout the industry as a leader in the production of premium,
environmentally clean products such as reformulated gasoline, CARB Phase II
gasoline, low-sulfur diesel and oxygenates. The company also has an extensive
wholesale, bulk and rack marketing business as well as a retail marketing
business and markets its products in 34 states.
Statements contained in this press release that state these companies, or
their managements' expectations or predictions of the future are forward-
looking statements intended to be covered by the safe harbor provisions of the
Securities Act of 1933 and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. It is
important to note that these companies' actual results could differ materially
from those projected in such forward-looking statements.
Web sites: http://www.airliquide.com
http://www.dow.com
http://www.valero.com
SOURCE Air Liquide America Corporation
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Related links:
http://www.dow.com
http://www.valero.com http://www.airliquide.com
CONTACT:
Laura Custer of Air Liquide America
Corporation, 713-624-8052, or laura.custer@airliquide.com
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