Air Products to Supply SMIC's Capacity Expansion Project in Tianjin, China

LEHIGH VALLEY, Pa., June 27, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Air Products (NYSE: APD), a world-leading industrial gases company, today announced it has been awarded the industrial gases supply to support the capacity expansion of the Tianjin facility of Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation (SMIC), one of the world's leading semiconductor foundries and the largest and most advanced foundry in mainland China. This major win further strengthens Air Products' leading position and commitment to the country's electronics manufacturing industries.

To support the customer's expansion, Air Products will build an on-site nitrogen plant and leverage its existing air separation unit and liquid gases capacity to supply a broad range of high-purity bulk gases, including nitrogen, oxygen, argon, carbon dioxide, hydrogen and helium, as well as compressed dry air.

SMIC's Tianjin facility is located in the state-level Xiqing Economic and Technological Development Area (XEDA), a key electronics industry base in the northern China city. The current facility has been using Air Products' high-purity nitrogen, oxygen, argon and helium since 2004 for producing 8-inch (200mm) wafers. It is building a new fab as part of its expansion project to become the world's largest integrated 8-inch IC production line with capacity of 150,000 wafers/month.   

"SMIC is our long-term strategic customer and we are honored to have their continued confidence in our capabilities to support their expansion in Tianjin," said Saw Choon Seong, China president, Industrial Gases, at Air Products. "Air Products is committed to supporting our customers' growth and the advancement of China's IC and other electronics manufacturing industries as guided by the government's 13^th Five-Year Plan and 'Made in China 2025' strategy. By expanding our capacity in Tianjin and XEDA, we will have an even stronger position with our infrastructure and pipeline network. We are prepared to meet the increasing demands from the thriving electronics and other high-end manufacturing industries, while growing our business further."

China's IC industry is developing at a fast pace as driven by a major government initiative launched in 2014 with billions of dollars of funding to advance its domestic electronics manufacturing industries. Several industrial clusters have emerged across the country, including Tianjin, where the IC industry is attracting increasing investments.

A leading integrated gases supplier serving the global electronics industry for over 40 years, Air Products has been supplying many world-leading and domestic IC and other electronics manufacturers in China. The company is building new plants in Fujian Province and the Nanjing Pukou Economic Development Zone in Southern and Eastern China respectively to supply its IC customers.

About Air Products
Air Products (NYSE: APD) is a world-leading Industrial Gases company in operation for over 75 years. The Company's core industrial gases business provides atmospheric and process gases and related equipment to manufacturing markets, including refining and petrochemical, metals, electronics, and food and beverage. Air Products is also the world's leading supplier of liquefied natural gas process technology and equipment.

The Company had fiscal 2016 sales of $7.5 billion from continuing operations in 50 countries and has a current market capitalization of approximately $30 billion. Approximately 16,000 employees are making Air Products the world's safest and best performing industrial gases company, providing sustainable offerings and excellent service to all customers. 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, 2016.

SOURCE Air Products