Apr 3 2007
Air Products, the leading global hydrogen provider, today announced it will add new capacity to its Louisiana pipeline system by building a new hydrogen production facility in Garyville, La. The facility will supply the Garyville refinery operations of Marathon Petroleum Company LLC, a subsidiary of Marathon Oil Corporation, and other customers located on its extensive Louisiana Hydrogen Pipeline Network. The 120 million standard cubic feet per day (MMSCFD) plant is projected to be on-stream in late 2009, in conjunction with Marathon’s major refinery expansion project.
“We are very pleased to be expanding our relationship with Marathon. This new facility will supply Marathon with both hydrogen and steam for its refinery operations. Hydrogen supply is critical to Marathon’s expansion project. Having our high-reliability steam methane reformer (SMR) on their site adds reliability by connecting to the largest hydrogen pipeline network in Louisiana,” said Tom Wendahl, Air Products’ Louisiana business manager.
Air Products had been supplying hydrogen via pipeline to Marathon’s Garyville refinery since 1993. Marathon’s hydrogen demand increased with its recent announcement of a plant expansionproject that will expand the crude oil refining capacity of the Garyville refinery from 245,000 barrels per day (bpd) to 425,000 bpd.
“Air Products is committed to growing our hydrogen business to meet the increasing demand of our customers. This new facility is the second large SMR added to our Louisiana network since late 2005. We strive to provide the lowest cost and highest reliable supply to our customers as they expand their facilities here in Louisiana,” said Jeff Byrne, vice president and general manager for Tonnage Gases.
The Garyville hydrogen facility is the 29th to be built through the global alliance between Air Products and Technip. This alliance continues to provide the worldwide refining industry with competitive technology plus world-class safety. Technip provides the design and construction expertise for steam reformers while Air Products provides the gas separation technology. Air Products, through its extensive operating network, and Technip, from its large reference base, also bring effective operational and engineering knowledge to “design-in” high reliability and efficiency. The plants are operated and maintained by Air Products under long-term agreements with customers.