Developing Our Key Hydrogen Business in Singapore

Singapore is the world’s third largest centre of oil refining and, in the frame of Kyoto Protocol, has committed itself to positively contributing to improving and maintaining our environment.

SOXAL has been awarded a 15-years contract to supply hydrogen to Neste Oil’s Renewable Diesel plant in Singapore.In order to meet Neste Oil’s gas requirements, we will invest approximately €125 million to build, own, and operate a new world-scale Steam Methane Reformer (SMR) on Jurong Island. This unit is expected to start up mid 2010 and will produce about 100,000 Nm³ per hour of hydrogen.

Besides supporting Neste Oil’s new facility, our SMR will also serve existing and future petrochemical customers located on Jurong Island and Tuas through an extensively integrated Hydrogen Pipeline Network. This will add a further element of reliability to Air Liquide’s existing and new customers by connecting them to the largest hydrogen pipeline network in Singapore.

This new hydrogen unit represents our biggest and the fifth significant investment into the gas infrastructure of Jurong Island, having already invested three Air Separation Units in at Pulau Ayer Merbau and Pulau Ayer Chawan, one HyCO unit at Sakra, with another new 1,200 tonnes per day Air Separation Unit at Pulau Ayer Merbau currently under construction.

Globally, Air Liquide has focused on increasing its hydrogen capability, with more than a 50% increase in production capacity of its hydrogen systems over the past 3 years.

Jean-Pierre Duprieu, Senior Vice-President for Asia-Pacific region, member of the Executive Committee Air Liquide Group, said: “These investments represent SOXAL’s commitment to our petrochemical customers in terms of reliability and system capability, today and for the future. As a worldwide leader in the hydrogen market, we are actively applying our best technologies and expertise to help our refinery and chemical customers around the world improve their process efficiencies and meet their environmental responsibilities. Less than one year after the completion of SOXAL full acquisition by Air Liquide, this success enables us to significantly reinforce our positions in South-East Asia and capitalize on growth in economies clustered around the industrial hub of Singapore."