Air Products' Hydrogen Fueling Technology to Use Landfill Gas to Power Vehicles

LEHIGH VALLEY, Pa., March 24 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Air Products (NYSE: APD) today announced it has signed a contract with SK Energy to construct a hydrogen fueling station for a novel energy project to be based in World Cup Park in Seoul, South Korea. The hydrogen fueling station to be onstream in July 2010 will supply hydrogen produced solely from landfill gas to fuel a fleet of vehicles. The project is part of Seoul's push to use alternative supply means to generate 10 percent of its energy consumption by 2020, and to use hydrogen for 30 percent of the switch.

"This is a very innovative project with high goals, and we are proud to be part of this plan and to work with SK Energy, which is a leading Korean company in hydrogen reforming technology. Seoul should be applauded for its foresight to use this project and World Cup Park's prominent name and location as a showcase and model for its future energy plans," said Bob Kelly, business development manager for Hydrogen Energy Systems at Air Products. "Processing a waste stream to make hydrogen for use as an alternative fuel is a direction Air Products, together with its customers, is pursuing to take advantage of underutilized hydrogen sources." Kelly noted this will be Air Products' sixth hydrogen fueling station in South Korea.

"We are delighted to be at the forefront of hydrogen fueling technology in Korea and this, the largest station ever installed in Asia, is a result of increased cooperation between the engineering and commercial teams in the U.S. and Korea," added K S Koh, manager global applications development for Air Products Korea.

Air Products' compression, storage and dispensing technology will fuel hydrogen powered fuel cell buses for public transit initially, and a small fleet of cars targeted to increase to as many as 100 public use vehicles. World Cup Park is a combination of several small parks adjacent to World Cup Stadium, site of the 2002 FIFA World Cup. The location has been selected for several eco-friendly projects including a "zero-energy house" completely powered by solar energy and other environmentally-friendly energies.

Air Products, the leading hydrogen supplier to refineries to assist in making cleaner burning transportation fuels, has placed over 110 hydrogen fueling stations in the United States and 18 countries worldwide. Cars, trucks, vans, buses, scooters, forklifts, locomotives, planes, cell towers, material handling equipment, and even submarines have been fueled with this trend-setting technology that involves Air Products' know-how, equipment and hydrogen. Use of the company's technology is increasing and is currently over 175,000 hydrogen fills per year and growing. The company has filled vehicles with its fueling station technology from hydrogen delivered to a site via truck, or produced by on-site natural gas reformation, biomass conversion, or by electrolysis, including electrolysis that is solar and wind driven.

Air Products has more than 50 years of hydrogen experience and is on the forefront of hydrogen energy technology development. Air Products has an extensive patent portfolio with over 50 patents in hydrogen dispensing technology. Air Products provides liquid and gaseous hydrogen, and HCNG (hydrogen/compressed natural gas) fueling, and has developed a variety of enabling devices and protocols for fuel dispensing at varied pressures. 

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 2009, Air Products had revenues of $8.3 billion, operations in over 40 countries, and 18,900 employees around the globe. For more information, visit www.airproducts.com.

About SK Energy

Founded in 1962 as Korea's first oil refiner, SK Energy is one of the world's leading energy and petrochemical companies with nearly 5,500 employees, $31.3 billion in sales, overseas branch offices and subsidiaries in 19 countries as of the end of year 2009. The company is strategically positioned as Korea's largest and Asia's fourth largest refiner with a refining capacity of 1.12 million barrels per day. SK Energy has advanced rapidly as a total energy provider, expanding its business area to New & Renewable Energy technologies like hydrogen, bio-butanol and thin film solar cell for a sustainable growth. Especially in hydrogen area, SK Energy has developed its own hydrogen reforming technology and applied it to a hydrogen fueling station in World Cup Park. SK Energy will grow into a leader in the energy market through continuous technical innovation. For more information, visit www.skenergy.com.

***NOTE: This release may contain forward-looking statements. Actual results could vary materially, due to changes in current expectations.

SOURCE Air Products