Hydrogen Demand Continues to Increase Globally

Researched by Industrialinfo.com (Industrial Information Resources, Incorporated; Houston, Texas). Industrialinfo.com is tracking over 120 capital projects globally that will increase hydrogen production capacity through either grassroot construction, debottlenecks, expansions, or unit additions. This new capacity is primarily being targeted for use by petroleum refiners in clean fuels programs and the processing of high sulfur crude.

"Of the hydrogen projects that we are tracking globally as a part of our North American Industrial Database, over 70 of them are still pending construction and represent an investment value nearing $2 billion," commented Trey Hamblet, Chemical Group Manager with Industrialinfo.com. "The US and Canada are leading investments for hydrogen capacity, with over 50 of those proposed projects. This is not surprising considering North America's advanced technologies and environmental programs mandating clean fuels programs."

In response to the expected increase in future demand, Air Products and Chemicals Incorporated (NYSE: APD) (Allentown, Pennsylvania) and Technip-Coflexip Group (NYSE: TKP) (San Dimas, California) recently extended their alliance to provide technology and hydrogen supplies worldwide for another ten years. While a majority of the new capacity will come from additions and expansions within the refineries themselves, around 17% of the capacity will come from industrial gases producers or chemical plants.