Praxair starts hydrogen facility for Dow Chemical in US Gulf Coast

The company will also supply nitrogen for Dow's chemical production facility

Last Updated : Feb 04 2017 | 12:18 PM IST

Industrial gases major Praxair Inc has started a hydrogen facility that will recover by-product streams from The Dow Chemical Company’s Freeport (Texas, USA) operations. Under a long-term contract, Praxair is supplying high-purity hydrogen back to Dow in order to meet the company’s needs across Southeast Texas. Additionally, the hydrogen will be used by Praxair to help supply increasing customer demand in the region.

Praxair has also signed a long-term contract with Dow to supply nitrogen to the company for use in its chemical production facility. The nitrogen supply is expected to start in 2019. Dow will use both gases to support the production of a number of specialty chemicals used in several diverse end markets, including automobile manufacturing, coating applications and chemical intermediates.

As part of the Freeport operation, Praxair is processing, recovering and compressing by-product hydrogen from Dow’s ethylene production facilities, which will include the company’s new world-scale ethylene cracker scheduled to come on line in 2017. Praxair’s extensive knowledge and operating experience in processing hydrogen, coupled with the industry-leading efficiency of Dow’s new sources, are enabling hydrogen to be produced to meet industry demands with significantly lower carbon dioxide emissions than by conventional means.

Both gases will be distributed through Praxair’s extensive US Gulf Coast pipeline network to Dow’s Texas City and Freeport facilities and will help meet growing demand from other customers in the region. Praxair already had pipeline access to Texas City and recently extended its US Gulf Coast pipeline systems approximately 46 miles to the Freeport area.

“Freeport is Dow’s largest chemical site in the world and we are proud to be supporting their continued growth in the US Gulf Coast. This opportunity to further serve our customers in the region is why we extended our pipeline to Freeport. Capturing by-product hydrogen for use in the refining and petrochemical industries is consistent with our mission of making our planet more productive,” said Dan Yankowski, president of Praxair’s global hydrogen business.

Jack Broodo, president, Dow Feedstocks and Energy, added, “We are pleased to continue our strong relationship with Praxair through this new project. Their long history of innovation and reliability was key to our decision to expand our relationship and why we chose them as our supplier in Freeport and Texas City, two of our critical manufacturing sites on the Gulf Coast. Additionally, in working with Praxair, we address our strategic vision of developing growth projects that result in environmental benefits to our industry and surrounding communities.”

Praxair’s hydrogen pipeline system is supported by multiple hydrogen plants as well as its 2.5 billion standard cubic foot hydrogen storage cavern, which uses patented technology. The cavern has been in commercial operation since 2007. Similarly, Praxair’s nitrogen pipeline system is built around multiple air separation facilities coupled with an extensive backup capability.