Air Products inks pact with BPCL to supply hydrogen and other gases

Air Products, the leading global hydrogen provider, has signed a long-term agreement with Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) to build, own, and operate several new industrial gas production facilities in Kochi, Kerala. The new industrial gas complex will provide hydrogen, syngas, nitrogen and oxygen for BPCL’s Kochi Refinery and its proposed petrochemicals complex. The facilities will support India’s largest-ever outsourced hydrogen requirement and will result in Air Products’ first hydrogen production facilities in India. A phased on-stream for the products supplied to BPCL’s Kochi Refinery targets late 2015 for the initial supply of gases.
 
The new facilities will supply industrial gases to BPCL’s Kochi Refinery, which is currently undergoing a $2.6 billion integrated expansion project that will increase its crude refining capacity to 15.5 million metric tons per annum (approximately 3,10,000 barrels per day).
 
ALSO READ: Praxair inks contracts with JSW Steel for nitrogen plant

“This important investment supports Air Products’ commitment to the Indian market and will help to make BPCL’s Kochi Refinery the largest and most viable public sector refinery in the country. The agreement also supports Air Products’ strategy of supplying refineries with industrial gases as they continue to expand, and also as new grassroots refineries are built to meet growing energy demand. Once on-stream, this location will become a benchmark reference facility in the region and demonstrate our technological and operational excellence,” said Howard Castle-Smith, Regional Vice President, Tonnage Gases Europe, Middle East, Africa and India, Air Products.
 
These efforts and other productivity improvements will help to improve the BPCL Kochi Refinery’s conversion of heavy crude, allowing for the production of clean fuels to meet Euro IV/V specifications. It will also position BPCL and the petrochemicals facility for diversification into higher value-added petrochemicals. The plant configuration and deployed technologies support Air Products’ overall sustainability goals of reducing energy consumption and emissions.
 
The new hydrogen facilities will be built through the global hydrogen alliance between Air Products and Technip, a world leader in project management, engineering and construction. The plant will feature the latest technology advancements to maximise energy efficiency and emissions reduction, and will include optimal heat integration, which in turn lowers feedstock consumption during production.