MOSCOW (MRC) -- Air Products, a global leader in industrial gases and megaproject development, and Haldor Topsoe, the world leader in high-performance catalysts and proprietary technology for the chemical and refining industries, today announced the signing of a global Alliance Agreement, said the company.
The two companies will collaborate, using their extensive market network outreach for developing potential projects and the combination of their expertise on large-scale ammonia, methanol and/or dimethyl ether plants to be developed and built globally.
Topsoe's proprietary autothermal reforming technology (ATR) will be one of the technologies offered to Air Products via the new alliance.
The Alliance Agreement provides Air Products access to Topsoe’s technology license(s) and the supply of certain engineering design, equipment, high-performance catalysts and technical services for ammonia, methanol and/or dimethyl ether plants to be built, owned and operated by Air Products. The collaboration allows for the integration of Topsoe’s technology into many Air Products’ technologies including gasification of various feedstocks, and synthesis gas processes.
“The global agreement with Haldor Topsoe is very important to Air Products as we continue to expand our scope of supply to customers in developing large-scale projects around the world. We have built a reputation for successfully executing megaprojects. Having this Alliance and access to Haldor Topsoe’s technology-leading capabilities will serve to strengthen both our offerings and customer confidence in the reliability and quality of project development and performance,” said Dr. Samir J. Serhan, executive vice president at Air Products.
“We are extremely satisfied to enter this Alliance. Air Products is an industry leader, and we share their commitment to providing customers around the world with excellent, innovative, and more sustainable solutions. This alliance forms the foundation for integrated large-scale projects that will benefit from the close collaboration and combined strengths of our two companies,” said Amy Hebert, Deputy CEO and Executive Vice President at Haldor Topsoe.
Topsoe’s technology enables companies in the chemical and refining industries to get the most out of their processes and products, using the least possible energy and resources. On the forefront of developing sustainable technologies, HTAS solutions enhance food production for the world’s growing population and help protect the environment. Half of all the ammonia used to make artificial fertilizer is produced using Topsoe catalysts.
Topsoe’s technology will be incorporated into Air Products’ recently announced world-scale coal-to-methanol production facility in Bengalon, East Kalimantan, Indonesia. In addition, Topsoe technology will also be part of the previously announced world-scale Gulf Coast Ammonia production plant in Texas. Air Products will supply hydrogen and nitrogen for the ammonia production in part from its largest-ever steam methane reformer.
Air Products’ involvement in these world-scale projects will capitalize on the alliance and deliver substantial sustainability benefits. These kinds of projects can serve as carriers of renewable hydrogen molecules as the world’s interest hydrogen for mobility and energy transition continues to grow.
As MRC wrote earlier, in December 2014, SIBUR-Khimprom (a subsidiary of SIBUR Holding) and Air Products entered into an agreement to build a new air separation unit in Perm and to supply the facility with locally produced gases. The unit came on-stream in 2016. After the commissioning Air Products will supply industrial gases for SIBUR-Khimprom over the next 20 years.
Besides, we remind that in September 2019, SIBUR, the largest petrochemical comples in Russia and Eastern Europe, and BASF, Geman petrochemical major, agreed to closely cooperate on sustainable development to share their best practices.
Ethylene and propylene are feedstocks for producing polyethylene (PE) and polyprolypele (PP).
According to MRC's ScanPlast report, Russia's estimated PE consumption totalled 383,760 tonnes in the first two month of 2020, up by 14% year on year. High density polyethylene (HDPE) and linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE) shipments increased due to the increased capacity utilisation at ZapSibNeftekhim. At the same time, PP shipments to the Russian market were 192,760 tonnes in January-February 2020, down by 6% year on year. Homopolymer PP accounted for the main decrease in imports.
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