Air Products' Technology Integral to Another U.S. First with Hydrogen Supplied Via Pipeline to New Fueling Station

LEHIGH VALLEY, Pa., May 10, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Air Products' (NYSE: APD) hydrogen, West Coast pipeline system, and industry-leading fueling technology were integral parts of an historic event today as Shell officially opened the United States' first-ever pipeline-fed hydrogen fueling station.  The Torrance, California station, a collaborative effort between Air Products, Shell, Toyota, South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) and United States Department of Energy (DOE), will supply hydrogen for several automobile manufacturers' fuel cell vehicles in the Los Angeles area.  

"This fueling station will be a tremendous model to show how effortless a pipeline supply of hydrogen can be to an automobile fueling station and other hydrogen fuel cell applications. It will add another mode of supply, on potentially a very large scale, to Air Products' portfolio of distribution technologies in meeting the emerging fueling applications of today," said David J. Taylor, vice president – Energy Businesses at Air Products to assembled guests for the station's dedication ceremony in Torrance today.  "Pipeline distribution of hydrogen offers the lowest delivered and dispensed price for hydrogen supply on a mass scale, and this site will be a model to be able to learn and expand these types of stations as opportunities arise."  Air Products believes this station will show the cost-competitiveness of hydrogen delivered in this manner to the gasoline costs of today.

The station, which received project funding assistance from SCAQMD and DOE prior to 2011, is situated on land adjacent to the Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A. Inc. (TMS) sales and marketing headquarters.  It is fed by Air Products' hydrogen pipeline located less than 50 feet from the station and connected to Air Products' Wilmington and Carson, Calif. hydrogen production facilities.  In addition to the hydrogen for the fuel cell vehicles, Air Products' hydrogen compression, storage and dispensing technology are also integral components in the fueling station.  The station includes several technology advancements, and among them is the ability to simultaneously fuel four hydrogen fuel cell vehicles from the four dispensers at the site.  The station currently has the requested fueling capacity of 50 kilograms of hydrogen per 12-hour day (or the equivalent of 50 gallons of gasoline per day), has the technical capability to reach 100 kilograms per day, and is expandable.

"Building an extensive hydrogen re-fueling infrastructure is a critical step in the successful market launch of fuel cell vehicles," said Chris Hostetter, group vice president, TMS.  "We plan to bring a fuel cell vehicle to market in 2015, or sooner, and the infrastructure must be in place to support our customers' needs."  

Air Products, the leading global supplier of hydrogen to refineries to assist in the production of cleaner burning transportation fuels, has unique experience in the hydrogen fueling industry. These varied fueling applications provide an opportunity to assess consumer experiences, evaluate product performance and advance product improvements.  In fact, in certain market applications, fueling rates at several individual sites of over 15,000 refills per year are occurring.  The company has placed over 120 hydrogen fueling stations in the United States and 19 countries worldwide.  Cars, trucks, vans, buses, scooters, forklifts, locomotives, planes, cell towers, material handling equipment, and even submarines have been fueled with trend-setting technologies that involve Air Products' know-how, equipment and hydrogen.  Use of the company's technology is increasing and is currently over 350,000 hydrogen fills per year. 

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.  Hydrogen for these stations can be delivered to a site via truck, produced by natural gas reformation, biomass conversion, or by electrolysis, including electrolysis that is solar and wind driven.

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 2010, Air Products had revenues of $9 billion, operations in over 40 countries, and 18,300 employees around the globe.  For more information, visit www.airproducts.com.

***NOTE: This release may contain forward-looking statements within the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements are based on management's reasonable expectations and assumptions as of the date of this release regarding important risk factors. Actual performance and financial results may differ materially from projections and estimates expressed in the forward-looking statements because of many factors not anticipated by management, including risk factors described in the Company's Form 10K for its fiscal year ended September 30, 2010.

SOURCE Air Products