Shanghai China

Air Products Participates in CPCIC and Shares Clean Energy Technology Insights to Support China’s Refining and Petrochemical Industry Development

Air Products (NYSE:APD), a US Fortune 500 company and a leading global supplier of industrial gases and performance materials, participated in the China Petroleum and Chemical International Conference 2014 (CPCIC) held on September 11-12 in Tianjin, China to demonstrate the company’s leading clean energy technologies and expertise. CPCIC is one of China’s most influential industry events hosting leading local and international experts. This year’s theme is “Global Trends and Opportunities in China in the Next 10 Years.” 

Air Products Asia Tonnage Gases Vice President and General Manager Philip Sproger was invited to attend the conference’s CEO Roundtable Meeting, a strategic platform for government officers and senior executives from multinationals to exchange ideas in global energy efficiency trends and domestic opportunities. At this by-invitation-only closed-door forum, Sproger talked about the strategic importance of clean energy to the sustainable economic development of China and the company’s innovative technologies in this area, bringing inspirations in supporting the government’s energy efficiency agenda. 

“Entering a new development stage, China’s refining and petrochemical industry has strong demand for innovative and energy efficient solutions that can bring both environmental and productivity benefits to achieve a smooth and successful transformation,” said Sproger. According to a recent report by the Pew Charitable Trusts, China remains one of the leading regional and global clean energy markets, recording US$54.2 billion in investment while rest of the world saw a decline in 2013. 

“Environment and energy have been at the core of Air Products’ strategy. As the country’s long-term partner and investor for more than 27 years, we are committed to supporting the government in fulfilling its Green China objective outlined in the Twelfth Five Year Plan and long-term development goals through our leading-edge technologies and talent development.” 

At the conference, Dr. Miao Ping, Air Products Asia Technology Director delivered a speech on the development of hydrogen fuel cell technology. The company is the world’s largest hydrogen supplier and has the largest number of hydrogen stations in the world with over 160 stations in more than 20 countries and regions providing green solutions to the automobile industry and other clean transportation needs. 

As a thought leader in industrial gases for over 70 years, Air Products has been committed to clean energy innovation and has earned worldwide recognition for its technologies in hydrogenated oil refining, liquefied natural gas (LNG), large air separation unit for coal gasification, hydrogen fuelling, oxy-fuel combustion and carbon dioxide (CO2) capture and more. 

The company’s proven liquefaction process technology and equipment are used in majority of the world's baseload LNG capacity; in which its AP-XTM Hybrid LNG Process can help drive CO2 emissions and unit cost of production down while its MCR® main cryogenic heat exchangers and natural gas liquefaction processes have set a global standard because of their reliability, high efficiency and operational flexibility. The company's ion transport membrane (ITM) technology for which it has held about 90 patents is a groundbreaking solution to reliable and cost effective oxygen supply for energy intensive applications including gas-to-liquid, oxy-fuel, syngas, CO2 capture energy processes and more. 

One of the major projects that Air Products is engaged in is the world’s premier clean power-generation pilot program in Germany with the company’s proprietary CO2 capture system. 

In China, Air Products has been actively participating in major national projects such as powering hydrogen fuelled buses for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, 2010 Guangzhou Asian Games and 2011 Universiade. It has also built strategic partnerships with many local enterprises including Shanxi International Energy Group for a carbon capture demonstration project at a 350 megawatt coal power plant; Shaanxi Yanchang Petroleum Group for a super-clean energy industry pilot project; and PetroChina for producing cleaner transportation fuels through hydrogen. In addition, the company has been driving the development of clean energy, pure oxygen burning and flameless combustion technologies etc. through research and development collaborations with over 10 top-notched local universities including Tianjin University, Zhejiang University, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, and Xi’an Jiaotong University.