Reporting on the business and technologies
driving today's global industrial gas industry

Air Liquide Continues Acquisitions in Homecare
2010.02
February 1, 2010 – Air Liquide has just completed the acquisition of DinnoSanté, a company that specializes in medical-technical services for diabetes.
 
DinnoSanté is a French company with 90 employees specializing in the equipment and home monitoring of patients with diabetes. It supplies nearly 2,300 chronic diabetes patients with equipment designed to facilitate their lives, including insulin pumps and glucose meters, and supporting them with personalized training and regular follow-up.

Pascal Vinet, Vice President, Healthcare World Business Line and Healthcare Operations, Air Liquide Group, commented, “This new Healthcare acquisition illustrates our development strategy, which seeks to strengthen our global range of services related to homecare treatments. Health is a solid and promising growth driver for the Air Liquide Group.”

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Full story: www.airliquide.com

Global Systems Forms New Group
2010.02
February 4, 2010 – Global Systems, LLC (dba The Global Group) has announced the formation of their newest group company, Global Calibration Gases, LLC, at their Palmetto, FL headquarters.

From their newly opened specialty gas fill plant and laboratory, Global Calibration Gases is a premier, high-end supplier of calibration gases and custom specialty gas mixtures. The industries served include chemicals and pharmaceuticals, petrochemicals, natural gas, and petroleum refineries, medical gas filling operations and research labs, and air quality monitoring. The Company specializes in multi-component hydrocarbon, BTU, and BTEX mixtures, low ppm and ppb volatile organic compound mixtures, and a complete line of EPA Protocol gases and NIST Traceable gas mixtures. Their analytical lab is in the process of attaining ISO 17025 accreditation.

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Full story: www.globalcalibrationgases.com

Airgas Confirms Receipt of Unsolicited Proposal from Air Products
2010.02
February 5, 2010 – Airgas, Inc. today confirmed that it has received an unsolicited proposal from Air Products & Chemicals, Inc. to acquire the company for $60.00 per share.

Airgas’ Board of Directors will review the proposal with its financial and legal advisors. Airgas shareholders are advised to take no action at this time.

The Company noted that in December 2009 Airgas received a cash and stock proposal from Air Products with an implied value of $62 per share, and that in October 2009 Airgas received an all-stock proposal from Air Products with an implied value of $60 per share. Airgas’ Board of Directors, after consultation with its financial and legal advisors, unanimously determined that Air Products’ proposals were not in the best interests of Airgas or its shareholders, as they grossly undervalued Airgas. In responding to the proposal received in December, the Board also noted that a significant portion of the consideration was in the form of Air Products stock, which has historically underperformed Airgas stock. The Airgas Board informed Air Products of its determination, sending the following letter on January 4, 2010 to John McGlade, Air Products’ Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer:


January 4, 2010
Mr. John E. McGlade
Chairman, President, and CEO
Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.
7201 Hamilton Boulevard
Allentown, PA 18195


Dear John:
Our Board of Directors met and thoroughly considered the proposal set forth in your December 17 letter. It is their unanimous view that the Air Products proposal grossly undervalues Airgas. Therefore, the Board is not interested in pursuing your company’s proposal and continues to believe that there is no reason to meet.


Airgas’ management has consistently created long-term shareholder value, as measured by stock price appreciation and total shareholder returns (stock price appreciation plus dividends).
- In every cumulative annual period since 2000, measured from the first of each calendar year to Dec 31, 2009, Airgas’ stock price has consistently outperformed Air Products’ with the exception of 2009.


- Airgas’ stock price appreciated 80 percent over the last five years and 415 percent over the last ten years, compared to just 40 percent and 145 percent for Air Products’ shares over the same periods.


- Airgas has achieved total cumulative shareholder returns of 22, 89, and 434 percent over the last three, five, and ten years respectively, versus Air Products’ 23, 56 and 197 percent. From the time of its initial public offering in December 1986, Airgas’ total shareholder return has exceeded 4,400 percent as compared to approximately 1,300 percent for Air Products over the same period.


Airgas’ entrepreneurial culture and customer-centric business model produced operating performance superior to that of Air Products through the last cycle, in expanding and contracting economic conditions. From CY2001 through CY2008, Airgas generated a 24 percent compound annual growth rate in operating income from continuing operations, compared to Air Products’ 8 percent.


Airgas’ associates, with the support of our Board of Directors and shareholders, have built the most valuable independent industrial gas company in the world. We have an outstanding performance record, and strong prospects for organic and acquisition growth in the coming years. Air Products’ unsolicited approach is simply an opportunistic attempt to buy Airgas at a bargain price, exploiting a brief anomaly in the historic comparative equity market performance of our two companies, just as the economy begins its recovery. Recent performance alone is not indicative of what our respective companies are capable of achieving. Under the terms of Air Products’ proposal, our shareholders would sacrifice real value and opportunity, and exchange a dynamic growth stock for one that has significantly underperformed Airgas stock over an extended period of time.


While we agree that the benefits of a letter writing campaign between our two companies have been exhausted, we strongly disagree with many of the assertions in your December 17th letter. In particular, we believe that a combination of our two companies could destroy rather than create value; that you underestimate the seriousness of your advisors’ conflicts; and that your characterization of my one conversation with you is inaccurate and misleading.


Air Products’ proposal grossly undervalues Airgas and its prospects for continued growth and shareholder value creation. Accordingly, our Board of Directors is not interested in pursuing your company’s proposal.


Sincerely yours,
/s/ Peter McCausland
Chairman and CEO


BofA Merrill Lynch and Goldman, Sachs & Co. are serving as financial advisors, and Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz is serving as legal counsel to Airgas.

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Full story: www.airgas.com

Air Products Offers to Acquire Airgas for $60.00 Per Share in Cash
2010.02
February 5, 2010 – Air Products has offered to acquire Airgas, Inc. for $60.00 per share in cash, or approximately $7 billion total.  The offer was made in a letter to Airgas’ Board of Directors yesterday after the CEOs of the two companies had previously discussed Air Products’ interest in acquiring Airgas and after Air Products had made two written offers, and these offers and Air Products’ requests to discuss them were rejected by Airgas.

At $60.00 per share, the offer provides a 38 percent premium to Airgas shareholders based on yesterday’s closing price of $43.53 and is 18 percent above Airgas’ 52-week high.  The total value of the transaction is approximately $7 billion, including $5.1 billion of equity and $1.9 billon of assumed debt.  The acquisition is expected to be immediately accretive to Air Products’ earnings per share on both a GAAP and cash basis, excluding expected one-time costs.


Air Products’ offer fully values Airgas’ complementary capabilities and attractive long-term prospects.  Headquartered in Pennsylvania, the combined company would be the largest industrial gas company in North America and one of the largest in the world, with distinctive strengths across all geographies and in all three distribution channels: packaged gases, liquid bulk and tonnage.  A combination of the two companies would be financially and strategically compelling, with substantial cost synergies of $250 million by the end of year two, and the ability to accelerate growth both domestically and internationally by leveraging Airgas’ extensive US sales force and packaged gases skills on the foundation of Air Products’ global presence and infrastructure.


Air Products is fully committed to pursuing this transaction, and has secured committed financing from J.P. Morgan to complete the offer.  Air Products is prepared to make appropriate divestitures to address regulatory issues.


John E. McGlade, Air Products’ Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer, said, “This is an extremely compelling transaction with undeniable strategic and industrial logic that would benefit shareholders, customers, and employees of both companies.  Bringing together these two highly complementary companies would create substantial value.  We highly value the talented operating team at Airgas, and believe they would benefit greatly from the expanded opportunities and resources available to them as part of a larger and stronger global US company with significantly greater long-term growth prospects than a stand-alone Airgas.  While we are disappointed that Airgas has thus far prevented its shareholders from receiving a substantial premium and immediate liquidity, we have repeatedly communicated to the Airgas Board our willingness to improve our offer to reflect any incremental value they can demonstrate.  While it remains our strong desire to reach an agreement with Airgas on a friendly basis, we are fully committed to pursuing this transaction and are prepared to take all necessary steps to complete it, including making an offer directly to Airgas shareholders.”


Air Products’ financial advisor for this transaction is J.P. Morgan Securities Inc. and its legal advisors are Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP and Arnold & Porter LLP.
The management of Air Products will host a conference call and live webcast, Friday, February 5, 2010 at 8:30 a.m. ET to discuss this announcement.  The company welcomes all members of the investment community to listen to the call live by dialing (913) 312-0685 and providing the passcode 4248658. The live webcast of the call can be accessed at www.airproducts.com.  An audio replay of the call will be available after the call’s conclusion and can be accessed by calling (888) 203-1112 in the US or (719) 457-0820 outside the U.S. and entering the passcode 4248658.


Below is the full text of the most recent letter from Air Products to Airgas:
February 4, 2010
Mr. Peter McCausland
Chairman, President and CEO
Airgas, Inc.
259 North Radnor-Chester Road, Suite 100
Radnor, PA 19087-5283


Dear Peter:
As you know, we have been trying for the last four months to engage Airgas in friendly discussions regarding a business combination.  We are deeply disappointed that you and your board have rejected out of hand two written offers providing your shareholders substantial premiums.  In our prior correspondence, we clearly and repeatedly stated our flexibility as to both value and form of consideration, yet you have continued to refuse even to discuss our offers.  Your unwillingness to engage has delayed the ability of your shareholders to receive a substantial premium.  We remain committed to completing this transaction, and we have therefore decided to inform your shareholders of our offer to expedite the process.


Air Products is prepared to proceed with a fully financed, all-cash offer for all Airgas shares at $60.00 per share, which reflects a premium of 38 percent to Airgas’ closing price today of $43.53 and 18 percent above its 52-week high.  In addition to a substantial premium, Airgas shareholders will benefit from immediate liquidity in an uncertain economic environment through an offer which we believe fully values Airgas’ complementary capabilities and long-term growth prospects. 


Bringing together our complementary skills and strengths will create one of the world’s leading integrated industrial gas companies.  Combining Air Products’ global leadership in liquid bulk and tonnage gases with Airgas’ leadership in US packaged gases will create the largest industrial gas company in North America and one of the largest globally – a leader with distinctive strengths and world-class competencies across all distribution channels and geographies.  While we have a strong and profitable packaged gas business in Europe and other key international markets, we do not have a position in the US packaged gas business where Airgas is the market leader.  As part of this uniquely compelling combination, Airgas would be well positioned to achieve higher growth than it could achieve on a stand-alone basis.


We do not believe there are any significant financial or regulatory impediments to your shareholders’ timely realization of this substantial cash premium.  We have secured committed financing from J.P. Morgan to complete the offer and are committed to maintaining a robust capital structure.  We have also thoroughly considered the regulatory issues related to this combination and are prepared to make appropriate divestitures, none of which we expect to be material. 


The strategic and industrial logic of this combination is clear, and we are confident that an Air Products/Airgas combination would create greater value than Airgas or Air Products could each achieve on its own.  There are many advantages to consummating this combination now, including:


• The opportunity to improve growth, returns and cash generation.
• Substantial cost synergies, which are expected to yield savings of $250 million annually when fully realized, primarily related to reductions in overhead and public company costs, supply chain efficiencies, and better utilization of infrastructure.
• The ability to leverage Airgas’ extensive US sales force and packaged gases skills, and to build on the foundation of Air Products’ global presence and infrastructure, to accelerate growth both domestically and internationally.
• An integrated platform better able to capture economies of scale from extensive engineering, operations and back office capabilities with a much greater reach and ability to provide better overall customer service.
• Air Products’ presence in all of the world’s key industrial gas markets, increased cash flow and greater access to capital would allow Airgas to achieve international expansion far faster and at a much lower cost, while accelerating its growth through acquisitions.


We believe the timing for this combination is ideal.  The economy is just beginning to emerge from recession, and together we would be able to take full advantage of the substantial growth potential, economies of scale, and synergies unique to this transaction. You have made clear your international growth aspirations, which will require significant time and expense to build out on your own.  Air Products has the global infrastructure in place that would allow you to achieve your goals faster and better.  Airgas is also just in the initial stages of implementing SAP, and our demonstrated expertise in this area would greatly reduce the time, expense and disruption associated with this vital rollout. 


Bringing our two companies together would also benefit employees, customers and the communities in which we operate.  We highly value the talented operating team at Airgas, which would benefit greatly from the expanded opportunities and resources available as part of a larger and stronger global US company headquartered in Pennsylvania – with significantly greater long-term growth prospects than a stand-alone Airgas.  Your customers would benefit from a more robust product offering from a company with expanded resources and global scope.


Peter, let me reemphasize as I have in past discussions that Air Products is fully committed to the successful completion of this compelling transaction.  Your continuing refusal to engage with us will serve only to further delay your shareholders’ ability to receive a substantial all-cash premium.  While we would strongly prefer to proceed through friendly negotiations, you should not doubt our resolve to take the necessary actions to complete this transaction.  We would welcome the opportunity to meet with you or with any special committee of your independent directors which has been or will be formed to consider our offer, as well as their independent financial and legal advisors.  Finally, we reiterate our willingness to reflect in our offer any incremental value you can demonstrate. 


Very truly yours,
John E. McGlade
Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer
cc: Airgas Board of Directors

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Full story: www.airproducts.com/airgasoffer

Linde to Supply Industrial Gases to Environmental Research Project
2010.02
February 10, 2010 – Linde Gases has agreed to supply cryogenic gases – liquid helium and nitrogen – and other specialty gases, including helium, carbon monoxide, and medical grade oxygen, to an international scientific consortium coordinated by the Jülich Research Centre, Germany. The gases will be used in an important atmospheric research project to assess the effects of climate change on the ozone layer and will be supplied by Linde’s Swedish subsidiary, AGA.

The project, named RECONCILE, will be carried out as a series of ten flight missions between January and March 2010 from the Arena Arctica base, near Kiruna in northern Sweden. The Russian supplied plane used, Geophysica, is capable of reaching altitudes exceeding 20 kilometers. RECONCILE and the subsequent analysis of its research data is being carried out by a consortium of seventeen partners from nine countries, including the Jülich and Karlsruhe Research Centres in Germany, the University of Cambridge in the UK, NASA in the US, the Norwegian Institute for Air Research and the German Aerospace Centre.


Global climate change, which is induced to a large extent by anthropogenic – or human-derived - greenhouse gas emissions, is believed to affect stratospheric chemistry and dynamics, resulting in ozone loss. In turn, changes to the ozone layer can affect change in climate, resulting in a potential spiral of atmospheric damage. The research project will provide insight into how these ozone-climate feedback loops work together and make long-term predictions about ozone and climate change possible. The Geophysica will carry sophisticated scientific instruments, including a helium-cooled telescope and spectrometry system to probe chemical composition and particle properties by measuring infrared emissions. By providing insight into how ozone-climate-feedback-loops work together, long term predictions about ozone and climate change can be generated.

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Full story: www.linde.com

Matheson Tri-Gas, Inc. Signs Exclusive Distribution Deal with RASIRC
2010.02
February 10, 2010 – Matheson Tri-Gas, Inc. (MTG) and RASIRC® (www.rasirc.com) have signed an exclusive agreement in which MTG will distribute RASIRC purification and delivery systems throughout the United States.  RASIRC designs and manufactures products for controlled humidification and ultrapure steam generation for critical manufacturing processes.

Agreement on distribution rights for the RASIRC product suite was finalized at a recent meeting between Volker Heilmann, SVP, Strategic Products and Equipment, Matheson Tri-Gas, Inc. and Jeffrey Spiegelman, Founder and President, RASIRC.  Matheson Tri-Gas will have exclusive distribution rights for RASIRC products, including the RainMaker® humidification system (RHS) and the RASIRC Steamer in the semiconductor and micro-electronics markets.


“The agreement is expected to significantly raise the profile of RASIRC’s capabilities within the electronics and solar marketplace,” stated Spiegelman. 

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Full story: www.mathesontrigas.com

DataOnline Announces India Representative
2010.02
February 16, 2010 – During the 32nd annual AIIGMA meeting in Bangkok, Thailand, recently, DataOnline announced that they had signed Shell N Tube Pvt. Ltd. (www.Shell-N-Tube.com) to be their representative in India.

AIIGMA, the All India Industrial Gas Manufacturers Association, held its first meeting outside of India in support of a trade agreement between India and Thailand. Over 300 delegates were in attendance representing both industrial gas manufacturers and equipment and service suppliers.  Robert Barnacle, DataOnline President, presented a paper on “Telemetry, the remote monitoring of fixed and mobile assets in the industrial gas industry.” DataOnline were invited by their new representative to attend the conference, sharing a booth with them in the exhibition hall.


Louie Lim, DataOnline’s Asia Regional Office manager, commented “Telemetry is not widely used in India and this is a great opportunity for us to introduce our technology and help the local Industrial Gas companies operate their supply chain more efficiently.”


Mr. Munjal Mehta, Shell-N-Tube Director of Sales, commented “As representatives to Chart in India, we had been introduced to DataOnline during the Middle East GasWorld conference. With our experience, complimentary products, and customer base in India, it was an easy decision for both parties to form this relationship. We look forward to promoting and supporting DataOnline’s products and services in India.”

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Full story: www.dataonline.com

FIBA Awarded Contract for ASME Hydrogen Pack
2010.02
February 16, 2010 – FIBA was awarded a contract to manufacture an ASME hydrogen receiver assembly with 3-zone, automatic cascade controls for installation at the US Department of Energy’s primary laboratory for renewable energy and energy efficiency research and development and deployment.

FIBA’s equipment increases capacity and adds cascade filling capabilities to the on-site, hydrogen filling station. The hydrogen is produced from renewable wind and/or solar energy to fuel light duty vehicles and to provide peak electricity to the grid. 

Full story: www.fibatech.com

Renewable Jet Fuels
2010.02
Accelergy Corporation, (www.accelergy.com) a producer of high-value domestically sourced liquid fuels, has entered a strategic partnership with the Energy & Environmental Research Center (EERC) (www.undeerc.org) at the University of North Dakota. Under the terms of the agreement, Accelergy will license EERC’s proprietary technology as part of its Coal Biomass to Liquids (CBTL) process to accelerate the development of specialty liquid jet fuels used by the military from cleaner and non-petroleum sources.

This news comes on the heels of a recent $4.7 million contract between EERC and US Department of Defense’s Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) that will fund the development of the first completely renewable JP-8 jet fuel. The USAF currently uses JP-8 in all their aircraft, and has been researching alternative sources to petroleum-based fuels following a recent mandate to procure 50 percent of its fuel sources domestically and from greener sources.

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Rentech a Leader in Biofuels
2010.02
Rentech a Leader in Biofuels Rentech, Inc. (www.rentechinc.com) has been named a company of the year by Biofuels Digest for advancement in the commercialization of renewable fuels. Rentech received the award jointly with four other companies in recognition of significant contributions to the development of commercially-available renewable jet fuels.

Commenting on the award, D. Hunt Ramsbottom, Rentech President and CEO, said, “This award underscores Rentech’s leadership position within the bioenergy industry as we develop and commercialize renewable fuels and power projects and technologies to enhance domestic energy production, the economy, and the environment.”

The Company’s Rentech-SilvaGas biomass gasification process can convert multiple biomass feedstocks into synthesis gas (syngas) for production of renewable fuels and power. Rentech is developing a renewable energy facility in Rialto, CA that is anticipated to produce approximately 9.8 million gallons per year of renewable fuels and 35 megawatts of renewable power from green waste. In August 2009, eight airlines signed a multi-year agreement to purchase up to 1.5 million gallons per year of renewable synthetic diesel (RenDiesel^®) from this project for ground service equipment operations at Los Angeles International Airport beginning in late 2012, when the plant is scheduled to go into service.

Last December, 13 domestic and international passenger and cargo carriers signed a non-binding Memorandum of Understanding with Rentech. It is intended to serve as a framework for a definitive supply agreement for approximately 250 million gallons per year of certified synthetic jet fuel (RenJet^®) from Rentech’s proposed synthetic fuels and power facility in Adams County, MI. The facility may integrate fossil feedstocks and biomass that would be processed with Rentech’s biomass gasification technologies. Jet fuel produced from the Fischer-Tropsch process, on which Rentech’s technology is based, is the only alternative fuel type currently certified for use by the US Air Force and in commercial aircraft.

In addition, Rentech has contracted to sell all of the carbon dioxide to be captured at its proposed Mississippi facility to Denbury Onshore, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Denbury Resources, Inc. The CO₂ would be used for enhanced oil recovery at Denbury’s Cranfield oil field in southwest Mississippi as well as at the Company’s oil fields within the greater Gulf Coast area.

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Air Liquide Supplies 2G Biofuel Project
2010.02
The French Atomic Energy Commission (CEA) is launching the first phase of a project to build a biomass conversion pilot unit that will transform agricultural and forestry residues into second generation biofuel, in Bure Saudron, France. Second generation biofuels use only the non-edible parts of plants. Air Liquide (www.airliquide.com) will be supplying key technologies needed to transform synthesis gas in to biofuel for this project. The demonstration unit, which combines in a single facility all of the various second generation biofuel production elements, will be the first production unit of this kind in France.

Air Liquide Engineering and Construction teams, through its subsidiary Lurgi, are responsible for coordinating some of the technical engineering operations and process steps downstream, from gasification through final biofuel upgrading. Air Liquide will also provide oxygen, a required component of the gasification process, and hydrogen, which is used to enhance the quantity and quality of the synthetic fuel produced. The demonstration unit will be the first biofuels production unit of this kind in France.

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Algenol Biofuels
2010.02
The Linde Group (www.linde.com) and the US company Algenol Biofuels LLC (www.algenolbiofuels.com) have joined forces to develop cost-efficient technologies that capture, store, transport, and supply CO₂ for Algenol’s proprietary process. Algenol technology produces third generation (3G) biofuels from CO₂, salt water, and algae using sunlight, and removes oxygen from the photobioreactor. The research collaboration builds on a process developed by Algenol Biofuels and other partners.

“Producing fuels or chemicals from algae is a promising way of reducing greenhouse gas emissions,” said Dr. Aldo Belloni, member of the Executive Board of Linde AG. “A cost-efficient supply of CO₂ is a key factor in this biofuel chain.”

Algenol production facilities do not need to be built on land required for food, do not consume fresh water, and do not involve costly steps for processing, harvesting, and storing biomass. Further, the algae consume CO₂ from fossil fuel sources, such as combustion flue gases from coal-fired power plants, and the process is almost entirely powered by the sun.

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Portable Fuel Cell Systems
2010.02
UltraCell Corporation (www.ultracellpower.com) has been awarded $3 million in federal stimulus funds by the US Department of the Air Force as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. The funds will be applied towards the “50W Soldier Portable Fuel Cell System” program, created to support the design and development of reliable, efficient, portable fuel cells for dismounted warfighters deployed in Afghanistan and other arenas across the globe.

UltraCell was awarded the contract by the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) and will utilize the funds to build 65 fuel cell systems based on its XX55 Reformed Methanol Fuel Cell (RMFC). Designed to power electronic equipment such as military radios and rugged laptops, the XX55 is also capable of recharging military batteries such as the BB-2590 and Li-80/145 — a key to the success of portable fuel cell systems in the field. These capabilities, coupled with the XX55’s fuel cell/battery hybridization, allowing the system to provide greater peak power for startup of devices like rugged laptops, make the XX55 an ideal portable power supply for the 50W program.

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API Commercializes H2 Generator
2010.02
Early production stage hydrogen generation company AlumiFuel Power, Inc. (API) (www.alumifuelpowerinc.com), a wholly owned subsidiary of AlumiFuel Power Corporation, has taken delivery of its first production unit hydrogen generator, the PBIS-1000. With the help of its local manufacturing partner, Apex Piping Systems (www.apexpiping.com), API’s production line is now fully ready for mass production of its hydrogen generators.

API’s PBIS-1000 relies on the robust chemical reaction among aluminum, water, and proprietary additives. Operation of the generator is simple: two 32-oz. “aluminum can” cartridges containing aluminum powder and the proprietary additives, are loaded into the reactor vessels. Water from practically any source, including salt or brackish water, is poured into the water tank, and a hand pump is then used to inject water into the cartridges, generating 1,000 liters of hydrogen in 20 minutes.

While API’s hydrogen generator was initially designed for the remote inflation of weather balloons (hence its name, Portable Balloon Inflation System), the quality of hydrogen the reactor generates is easily adaptable to fuel cells and many other systems requiring remote/portable hydrogen. Currently, large, heavy, and hard-to-handle steel “K-Cylinders” under very high pressures are used to transport and deliver hydrogen to customers. The PBIS unit instead relies on small unpressurized cartridges of aluminum powder and any available water source. This greatly reduces the cost and danger of transporting hydrogen, and makes hydrogen available to previously inaccessible locations.

Unlike expensive electrolysis systems, API’s generator does not need an external power source, and unlike steam reformers, API’s generator creates no greenhouse gases. All the chemicals used in the reaction are non-toxic and can be recycled or discarded in municipal dumps.

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Curbing GHG with H2
2010.02
A coalition of 16 associations from around the world have issued a joint statement to underscore how hydrogen technologies can help to curb global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The statement, addressed to the Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework on Climate Change, Yvo de Boer, points out many significant benefits to the environment and other areas including the elimination of 80 percent of the emissions from light duty vehicles, according to studies by Japan, the European Union, and US.

“The significant investments by national governments and private companies around the world have resulted in rapid technology advancements recently compared to just a few years ago,” said Terry Kimmel, Chairman of the Partnership for Advancing the Transition to Hydrogen (PATH) (www.hpath.org). “And as recently as a couple months ago, several countries like Japan and Germany made large commitments to take advantage of these advancements by investing in hydrogen infrastructure, while the US continues to support technology development and deployment.”

“In addition to hydrogen’s ability to replace or more cleanly use carbon-based fuels, hydrogen technologies encourage the widespread use of renewable energy,” added Jeffrey Serfass, PATH’s General Manager. “Hydrogen provides so many benefits and works cooperatively with such a wide variety of alternative energy technologies, no national government can afford to leave hydrogen out of its climate change plans.”

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Milestone in Hydrogen Storage
2010.02
QuantumSphere, Inc. (www.qsinano.com) and the University of South Florida have exceeded the 2010 Department of Energy (DOE) goals for solid state hydrogen storage. Achieving these goals fosters the commercialization of safe, lightweight fuel storage for portable, stationary power, and transportation applications.

In a two-year materials discovery program funded by QuantumSphere, Inc., Professor Elias Stefanakos, Director of the Clean Energy Research Center (CERC) (http://cerc.eng.usf.edu/) at the University of South Florida, and Research Associate Dr. Sesha Srinivasan (currently an assistant professor at Tuskegee University), have developed complex metal hydrides doped with QuantumSphere’s nano-Nickel particles produced by its patented manufacturing process. These materials have a 6-8 wt% reversible hydrogen capacity below 150 degrees C. This compares to the 6 wt% system efficiency target set by the DOE, as this is believed to be the threshold at which hydrogen can be economically stored as a solid.

Until this discovery there had been limited success finding solid-state materials capable of effectively storing hydrogen reversibly at practical operating temperatures. This has limited the deployment of hydrogen as a fuel carrier for portable electricity generation.

“The high-performance materials designed by QuantumSphere and CERC enable high energy density, solid-state, reversible H₂ storage systems and will foster the commercialization of H₂ fuel cells,” said Stefanakos. “Fulfilling the need for lightweight storage is especially important in early market applications such as uninterruptable power supplies and unmanned systems.”

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CCS - A Hot Market
2010.02
As more and more countries target greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions as a way to control climate change, carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) has become a hot market. According to a new report from Pike Research, under a base-case forecast scenario, global revenues for carbon capture and sequestration systems could reach $128 billion by 2030. In a forecast scenario that includes more aggressive assumptions for global climate policy and industry adoption, the firm anticipates that the worldwide CCS market could reach as high as $221 billion in the same timeframe. However, the path ahead includes many challenges and barriers for CCS proponents, according to Pike Research.

“To date, no commercial-scale integrated power plant with CCS exists,” says Managing Director Clint Wheelock. “What’s more, the addition of CCS systems to both existing and future power plants will likely add between 50 percent and 70 percent to the cost of producing electricity.” Wheelock adds that one fundamental cause of uncertainty for the emerging CCS economy is the lack of a clear price for carbon emissions. “While these obstacles are significant, however, we expect rapid CCS growth over the next two decades.”

Pike Research’s report, “Carbon Capture and Sequestration,” examines the market issues, technological factors, and opportunities for players in all phases of the CCS industry, from capture technology to transport and storage. An Executive Summary of the report is available for free download on the firm’s website, www.pikeresearch.com.

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Landfill Methane Capture Offsets
2010.02
A new partnership between Just Energy (www.justenergy.com) and Integrated Gas Recovery Services Inc. (IGRS) (www.igrs.ca) will provide consumers in Ontario, Canada with another way to reduce their carbon footprint, by applying verified emission offsets from the IGRS landfill gas collection project at the Essex Windsor Solid Waste Authority’s Landfill. The offsets become part of Just Energy’s Green Energy Option (GEO) program.

Just Energy has procured 50,000 metric tonnes of emission offsets per year through 2013 from the IGRS landfill gas collection project in Essex to help meet growing demand for its GEO program. Since 2007, customers enrolled in Just Energy’s GEO program have been responsible for offsetting 20,000 metric tons of carbon emissions and have injected more than 300,000 megawatt hours of renewable energy into the electricity grid. Participation in GEO allows individual customers to reduce the carbon footprint associated with their purchase of gas and power, while helping to ensure that large scale carbon offset and renewable energy production projects, like those related to the Essex credits, continue to be undertaken. The carbon offsets are generated at the Essex gas collection project by reducing emissions through the capture and combustion of landfill gases, which contain approximately 50 percent methane, which has a global warming impact 21 times greater than that of carbon dioxide.

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Transporting CO2
2010.02
COCATE is a European research project that analyzes the conditions for transporting flue gases emitted from smaller CO₂-emitting industrial facilities with a view to pooling the capture process, and for exporting large quantities of captured CO₂ to storage areas. COCATE is undertaking its first project dedicated to the issue of pooled CO₂ treatment. Smaller CO₂-emitting industrial facilities — from as few as tens of thousands to several hundred thousand metric tons — cannot economically capture and transport CO₂. They must pool the CO₂ capture and transportation system in order to cut costs and to make carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) an affordable technology. COCATE facilitates this type of cooperation.

One of COCATE’s two test sites is a local low-pressure network that could collect the flue gases emitted by various Le Havre-based industrial companies and transport them to various capture centers. The other is a high-pressure network to transport the captured CO₂ to the Port of Rotterdam, for storage in depleted North Sea oil and gas fields. Transport by pipe scenarios in which CO₂ is moved in a supercritical state above 74 bars, and transport by boat scenarios in which CO₂ is transported in refrigerated liquid form (-50°C, 7 bar or -30°C, 15 bar) are both being considered, as will different storage locations. COCATE will pay special attention to the technical limitations of each of the test sites. This three-year project has a total budget of EUR 4.5 million, nearly EUR 3 million of which is contributed by the European Commission.

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Coal to Syngas
2010.02
Energy Quest, Inc. (EQI) (www.nrgqst.com) has a Modular M2 Fluidized Bed Gasification System that can convert coal into usable synthetic gas at a cost of approximately $2.50 per million BTU (MMBTU). The economics of a 400 million BTU per hour coal-to-synthetic gas gasification system result in production of 3.2 trillion BTU per annum. With prices of natural gas priced in million BTUs (MMBTU) reaching $6.00 this year, when calculated at $5.00, the revenue generated from the sale of synthetic gas should reach $16 million for each Energy Quest 400 MMBTU Modular Gasification system, with operating costs estimated at $8 million. Included in the cost estimates are the cost of the annual required 200,000 tons of coal. The syngas generated by the gasification process can be utilized to generate electricity and/or process heat. The Energy Quest process results in a significant decrease in greenhouse gases because of higher coal to energy conversion rate.

“This highly efficient Modular Gasification Syngas process will be of special interest to coal rich, natural gas poor countries,” stated Wilf Ouellette, President and CEO of Energy Quest, Inc.

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First Solar and NRG Energy Open Largest Solar PV Power Plant in California
2010.02
First Solar, Inc. (www.firstsolar.com) and NRG Energy, Inc. (www.nrgenergy.com) announced the start of commercial operation for the largest photovoltaic (PV) solar project in California. First Solar developed and built the 21-megawatt (MW) power plant in Blythe, CA, which was acquired last month by NRG through its wholly owned subsidiary NRG Solar. Electricity generated by the solar facility is being sold to Southern California Edison (SCE) under a 20-year power purchase agreement.

The Blythe plant is the largest thin-film PV project in the US and is five times the size of the next largest PV project in California. The Blythe plant will generate over 45,000 megawatt-hours of clean, affordable, sustainable electricity per year. This solar generation will avoid approximately 12,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions annually — the equivalent of taking over 2,200 cars off the road. First Solar will provide operations and maintenance services at Blythe under a longterm contract with NRG.

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Lowering the Cost of Thin-Film PV
2010.02
Keeping up with one of the fastest growing segments of the solar power industry, United Solar has decided to implement a software system that addresses quality, throughput, and sustainability issues in their manufacturing process. United Solar, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Energy Conversion Devices, Inc. (ECD), builds integrated rooftop photovoltaics. The Company has decided to standardize its operations on GE Intelligent Platforms’ (www.ge-ip.com) Proficy^® software platform, which reduces scrap, increases throughput, and lowers the cost of manufacturing thin-film photovoltaic laminates.

The project is expected to cover United Solar’s operational manufacturing sites in Michigan, and the company’s Mexico assembly plant where it is expected to produce significant benefits over three years time. More than 80 percent of the benefit is associated with quality improvements and scrap and waste reduction.

“The constraints posed by the worldwide dependence on oil has led the charge toward more renewable energy solutions, and thin-film photovoltaic solar modules are state-of-the-art in this industry,” said Erik Udstuen, VP of Software and Services for GE Intelligent Platforms. “Investing in manufacturing processes to increase their ability to meet those needs and taking costs out of operations, will propel United Solar in renewable energy, and help them to produce more sustainable products for the global marketplace.”

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Air Liquide Leads the Charge in PV
2010.02
China is the world’s leading manufacturer of solar cells, hosting around 35 percent of total world capacity, according to Air Liquide (www.airliquide.com). Recently, the Chinese government announced a target of 20 GWp power installed by 2020.

Air Liquide has recently signed 13 new contracts with crystalline-Silicon (c-Si) solar cell manufacturers in China and will will invest over EUR 10 million to meet the needs of these customers. The Group will expand its supply to Chinese market leaders JA Solar and Yingli Green energy, China’s number two and number three manufacturers respectively, that have a combined capacity of 1,400 MWp. Air Liquide already supplies Suntech, the largest c-Si producer in China.
In addition, in Beijing, Shanghai, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Hebei, Air Liquide was awarded various new long-term contracts for the supply of carrier gases and of specialty gases, to Jinko Solar, Sunflower, and DelSolar, as well as to eight other new c-Si fabs under construction. The total combined new manufacturing capacity is above 1,300 MWp per year.

With these contracts, Air Liquide becomes the supplier of more than 100 solar cell manufacturing companies around the world, with an overall c-Si capacity above 10 GWp per year. Francisco Martins, VP World Business Line Electronics of the Air Liquide Group, declared: “We are pleased to have been chosen to supply the three largest solar cell manufacturers in China. This confirms our ability to supply added-value gases and turnkey solutions to this industry. These recent contracts reinforce our leading position in this fast-changing industry. The photovoltaic activity is at the crossroads of Energy and the Environment, two growth drivers for the Air Liquide Group.”

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High Velocity Oxy-Fuel
2010.02
Praxair Surface Technologies, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Praxair, Inc. (www.praxair.com), has commissioned a dedicated production cell for applying metallic and ceramic coatings to airframe components. Based in St. Etienne, France, the new production cell will provide automated high velocity oxy-fuel (HVOF) coating services for components used in actuation, landing gear, and gearbox systems on rotary and fixed-wing aircraft.

“Expanding the capabilities at our St. Etienne facility will provide European-based airframe system manufacturers with the most advanced coatings to combat wear, friction, corrosion, erosion, and other problems,” said Mark Gruninger, Praxair Surface Technologies President. “At the same time, we will help our customers reduce their environmental footprint as the aviation industry moves to replace hard chrome plating with greener alternatives.”

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Clean Water with Ozone
2010.02
Solarbrook Water and Power Corporation (www.solarbrook-water.com) has bought the provisional patent application with the US Patent and Trademark Office for hormone removal in water. The process uses an efficient ozone process for eliminating EDCs (Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals), as well as waterborne hormones and other compounds of emerging concern. The unintended human ingestion of hormones in drinking water has been implicated in early onset of puberty, reproductive diseases in women, and deterioration in human male fertility. In the US many laws include EDCs and hormones, such as the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act, the Clean Water Act, the Safe Drinking Water Act, the Clean Air Act, and the Toxic Substances Control Act.

According to the Company, certified lab results on the removal of hormone and drugs in drinking water show that with treatment, reductions in the following chemicals have been realized: codeine by 100 percent, acetaminophen by 93 percent, progesterone by 48 percent, estradiol by 35 percent, and many others.

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International Standard to Make Bioenergy Sustainable
2010.02
The industrial gas industry is well-versed in the benefits and need for international standards that make trade both possible and practical in today’s global marketplace. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) (www.iso.org) has developed over 17,500 International Standards on a variety of subjects and some 1,100 new ISO standards are published every year. In our industry we work with standards developed by the ISO in relation to processes for producing gas mixtures to specifications and in the manufacture of tanks, tubes, and cylinders, to name a few. Now, the ISO is getting serious about establishing standards for a much broader area of interest to our industry — energy management — particularly as it relates to new renewable fuel sources.

The ISO identified energy management as a new area of concentration last summer (see “ISO Promotes Energy Standards,” CGI, July, 2009, p. 26). By setting energy management as a priority area for the development and promotion of international standards, the ISO sees significant potential to save energy and reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions worldwide.

Recently, the ISO announced it will develop an International Standard to address sustainability issues linked specifically to bioenergy. The standard will be produced by a new ISO project committee, ISO/PC 248, Sustainability Criteria for Bioenergy. Bioenergy refers to renewable energy that is derived from biological sources and can
be used for heat, power, or vehicle fuel. ISO/PC 248 will bring together international expertise and state-of-the-art best practice to discuss the social, economic, and environmental aspects of the production, supply chain, and use of bioenergy, and identify criteria that could prevent it from being environmentally destructive or socially aggressive.
The decision to develop the standard responds to the growing international interest in bioenergy, and current lack of globally harmonized sustainability criteria.

Already some 29 countries are involved as participants or observers, including large markets such as China and the US. Brazil and Germany will provide the secretariat and leadership of the committee. The future International Standard is expected to be a key tool in helping governments meet their alternative fuel targets. Already a number of international initiatives require their signatories to find ways to substitute fossil fuels, and bioenergy has been identified as an alternative fuel with great potential.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said at the 9th Conference of the Parties, “We clearly need biomass as a source of renewable energy. We cannot do without the contribution to climate protection made by sustainable and ecologically produced biomass. But we have to make sure there is no conflict of aims.”

One benefit of the future standard (ISO 13065) is that it should help avoid technical barriers to trade on bioenergy. ISO 13065 will disseminate technical know-how and stimulate the ongoing pursuit for quality through the incentive to research. In addition to tackling social and environmental issues, the standard will make bioenergy more competitive, to the benefit of both national and international markets.

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Linde Installs State-Of-The-Art Automotive Emissions Testing Capabilities
2010.02
As legislation continues to be enacted around the world to limit emissions, demand for the equipment, systems, and specialty gases that support emissions monitoring grows. (This issue includes a series of articles on emissions control and monitoring beginning on p. 24.) Linde Gases, a division of The Linde Group, (www.linde.com), recently installed specialty gases supply systems for two companies in Thailand so they could comply with emissions reduction legislation in that country.

At the Denso Corporation’s new research and technology laboratory at Samutprakan, Thailand, Linde installed a central specialty gases supply system. Linde also has a contract with the PTT Research and Technology Institute, a division of the PTT petrochemicals group, for a specialty gases supply system at their laboratory at Athuthaya, Thailand.

The Denso system provides state-of-the-art automotive emissions testing capabilities for car components. The PTT installation helps the Company in its drive toward production of lower emission automotive fuels. Both installations support the respective companies in complying with recent emissions reduction legislation in Thailand.

The central gas systems, which incorporate corrosion-proof steel gas pipe networks, transport multiple automotive calibration gases directly into the emissions testing laboratories. The system installations also include REDLINE^® points of use, cylinder regulators, pressure alarms, gas detection systems — and gas panels from Linde’s specialty gases equipment product range, ensuring gas quality, integrity, and highly stable gas outlet pressure.

“These are very important contracts for Linde, not only in Thailand, but across South East Asia as a whole,” said Head of Specialty Gases and Specialty Equipment at Linde, Stephen Harrison. “As the global community works towards reducing automotive emissions, there is growing prioritization in monitoring and quantifying emissions — and accuracy and reliability in measurement has become critical. We are delighted that two of the leading companies involved in this area have selected Linde to be a primary technology partner.”

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Air Products' Pipeline Project Moves Ahead
2010.02
Air Products (www.airproducts.com) has received regulatory approval from the Alberta Energy Resource Conservation Board for its Heartland Hydrogen Pipeline Project. The approximately 30-mile pipeline will provide hydrogen from Air Products’ two operating production facilities near Edmonton, Alberta, Canada to refiners, upgraders, chemical processors, and other industries in the Alberta Industrial Heartland region. Pipeline construction has begun with on-stream status targeted for 2010.

Air Products’ approach to the project was to use existing pipeline corridors wherever possible to reduce impact to the environment. “Approximately 95 percent of this project will follow existing pipelines, and where we had to develop a new route, we made careful selections and underwent stringent environmental assessments. This pipeline will meet future hydrogen supply needs and minimize the need for environmental disturbances,” said Air Products’ Steve Losby, GM–Canada.
 

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Chart Supplies AP with Exchangers
2010.02
Chart Energy & Chemicals, Inc. (Chart E&C), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Chart Industries, Inc. (www.chart-ind.com), has been awarded an order from Air Products (www.airproducts.com) for the supply of 14 Brazed Aluminum Heat Exchanger cores (BAHX) for construction of Air Products’ new world-scale air separation unit (ASU) in La Porte, TX. The BAHX units are the primary component in the process of separating atmospheric gases down to their individual molecules, such as oxygen, nitrogen, and argon. The use of Chart E&C’s BAHX and cryogenic technology allow for a reliable and efficient means of producing industrial gases for enhanced production of merchant and electronics products.

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Linde Gas Expands in Singapore
2010.02
 Linde Gas Singapore Pte Ltd. (www.linde.com) began commercial operations of its first carbon dioxide (CO₂) plant in Singapore, which will produce approximately 100 tons per day (tpd) of liquid CO₂. The plant will double the local production capacity, making Linde the single largest merchant for CO₂ production in Singapore. With this new investment, Linde has substantially reduced the Singapore market’s dependence on imported CO₂. Prior to Linde’s investment, Singapore imported approximately 50 tpd of CO₂, mainly from Malaysia. Linde’s investment will improve local supply chain reliability and also provide cost benefits to customers through a local production source. The new facility will utilize the CO₂ by-product generated from the synthesis gas production process at the site, which will help reduce carbon emissions.

Sanjiv Lamba, who heads Linde’s business in South and East Asia said: “Despite the economic crisis, CO₂ volumes have remained strong in 2009, with demand from the food and beverage industry particularly stable. Across Asia, CO₂ demand is expected to grow between five and seven percent per annum over the next few years. We see good prospects in the fabrication and chemicals sectors, and we are leveraging Linde’s technological strength to develop a number of new applications to further grow our CO₂ business.”

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Bridgelux Chooses Praxair Electronics
2010.02
Praxair Electronics, a division of Praxair, Inc. (www.praxair.com), has been selected by Bridgelux, Inc., a US lighting company and leading supplier of energy-saving light-emitting diode (LED)-based light sources, to supply its Sunnyvale, CA, manufacturing facility with high-purity ammonia utilizing Praxair’s SureFlowTM bulk supply system. The system can deliver sustained ammonia flow rates over 600 standard liters per minute, peaking at over 900 standard liters per minute. Since the supply system requires fewer cylinder change-outs, it helps reduce labor costs and improves safety and reliability.

“Bridgelux is focused on the continuous advancement of our manufacturing processes and LED materials technologies to reduce cost and enable the mass adoption of LED-based solid-state lighting,” said Dr. Steven Lester, Ph.D., Director of Research and Development at Bridgelux. “Market demand for our LED light sources is driving expansion of our manufacturing capacity. Praxair’s ability to supply our high-volume requirements using their bulk ammonia delivery system convinced us to choose Praxair as the most viable solution.”

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Praxair Supplies Chinese Glass Manufacturer
2010.02
Praxair China (www.praxair.cn) has signed a contract with Hainan China Aviation Special Glass Materials Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of China Aviation Sanxin Co., Ltd. (CAS), to supply oxygen and high purity nitrogen for a 100 percent oxy-fuel float glass furnace, the first of its kind in China. Praxair China will construct an ASU for China Aviation Special Glass at its glass production site in Hainan province, South China. It will be the second Praxair facility in Hainan province. A nitrogen plant was built at Haikou in 2005.

CAS is a leading manufacturer of specialty glass products such as low emissivity (Low-E) energy-saving glass, solar energy glass, and curtain walls in China. By introducing the world-class oxy-fuel furnace as well as on-line Low-E technology from PPG Industries in the US to produce Low-E float glass, CAS will be operating the most advanced high-end float glass site in China.

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Praxair Starts Up ASU in Korea
2010.02
Praxair Korea, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Praxair Inc. (www.praxair.com), has started up a new ASU to supply 1,975 tons per day of nitrogen gas to support Samsung Electronics’ advanced thin-film-transistor, liquid-crystaldisplay (TFT-LCD) factory in Tangjeong, South Korea. It is Praxair’s second air separation plant at the facility. Samsung’s Tangjeong complex is the world’s first and largest eighth generation TFT-LCD plant and is designed to expand to meet demand for future generations of LCDs. 

 

SCIPIG Supplies Bayer Polyurethane
2010.02
Shanghai Chemical Industry Park Industrial Gases Company (SCIPIG), a 50-50 joint venture between Praxair Inc. (www.praxair.com) and Air Liquide (www.airliquide.com), has been awarded a 15-year industrial gases pipeline supply contract from Bayer Polyurethanes (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. (BPUS). Under the contract, SCIPIG will further develop its existing industrial gas network and build a new HYCO plant, including a steam methane reforming unit and a carbon monoxide unit. The plant will have a total capacity of about 130,000 tons per year and is expected to start-up at the beginning of 2012. SCIPIG will deliver HYCO gases to the Bayer Integrated Site Shanghai.

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Airgas Home-Oxygen Deliveries in Compliance
2010.02
Airgas, Inc. (www.airgas.com) has received clarification from the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMMS) that its delivery system for liquid oxygen and cylinders complies with the new Medicare Accreditation rules and the accreditation requirements of the new competitive bidding program for durable medical equipment (DME) providers. Airgas supplies medical oxygen, cylinders, and related supplies to Medicare beneficiaries across the US on behalf of Medicare-accredited home care companies.

“We’re aware of confusion in the marketplace regarding Medicare Accreditation rules and home-oxygen delivery,” said Kelly Justice, Airgas Senior VP — Medical. “We have received confirmation from the CMMS that Airgas home oxygen delivery systems and practices comply with the new accreditation rules under the Medicare Improvement for Patients and Providers Act, and we may continue making deliveries just as we have for more than 10 years now.

Robert Young, Airgas Senior VP and General Counsel, added, “This clarification affirms that our program complies with the new accreditation regulations. It assures local home care and DME companies that they are complying with the law when using our longstanding program of home-delivery of oxygen to Medicare patients, whereby the local home care companies provide the patient education as to the safe use of the oxygen.”

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Air Liquide Introduces ALIGAL in Chicago
2010.02
Air Liquide America Specialty Gases LLC (www.airliquide.com) has introduced ALIGAL line of single and mixed gases to the Chicago area. ALIGAL gases, designed for use as Modified Atmosphere Packaging (MAP), help preserve the natural color and flavor of fresh food, by promoting low impurity levels and extending shelf life without chemical additives or preservatives. ALIGAL inhibits spoilage due to oxidation, bacteria, and mold growth that usually occurs when food is exposed to air.

Produced in Air Liquide’s Romeoville, IL facility, ALIGAL gases meet all food packaging standards and are offered in dedicated single and multiple packs of high-pressure cylinders. Cylinders feature Air Liquide’s exclusive SCANDINA cap that improves safety during cylinder transport and use, as well as valves that are factory shrink-wrapped to provide tamper-evident safety seals. Chrome residual pressure valves prevent back-flow into the cylinder to prevent accidental contamination.

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Lightweight Medical O2 from BOC
2010.02
In the UK, BOC Healthcare, a member of the Linde Group (www.linde.com) has introduced a new oxygen cylinder that offers emergency medical service workers an ultra-lightweight and easy-to-use source of medical oxygen. Developed in cooperation with the British Ambulance Trusts, this 1-liter, 300-bar cylinder weighs in at just 1.55 kg at full capacity, making it the lightest cylinder package available. The new oxygen cylinder also has the added benefits of lightweight integral valves, regulators, and easy-click settings. BOC worked closely with Luxfer Gas Cylinders (www.luxfercylinders.com) to develop the ultra-lightweight product, which incorporates Luxfer’s Odyssey-L7X^® cylinders. 

 

MTG Markets High-Purity Germane
2010.02
Matheson Tri-Gas, Inc. (MTG) (www.mathesontri-gas.com) and Gelest, Inc. (www.gelest.com) have entered into a marketing agreement in order to meet the increased worldwide demand for high-purity germane (GeH₄). Under their agreement, Matheson has the exclusive rights to market high-purity GeH4 produced by Gelest to the electronics and photovoltaic industries and can enter into joint ventures to expand manufacturing of the product. The joint ventures would be in the key markets of Asia and the US.

This collaboration combines the extensive technical and commercial capabilities of both companies to provide a quality product quickly, safely, reliably, and cost-effectively. Gelest brings the synthesis and manufacturing expertise necessary to produce a high-purity, consistent product that meets the needs of the semiconductor and photovoltaic markets. Matheson combines worldwide sales, marketing, and logistics expertise with its leadership in high-purity specialty gases applications R&D purification, and analysis for the electronics sector to bring the product to market.

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Air Products Is Supplier of Excellence
2010.02
Air Products (www.airproducts.com) was recently awarded the “Supplier Excellence Award” by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited (TSMC), the largest semiconductor foundry in the world. The award recognizes Air Products’ excellent performance in the areas of gases and chemicals. The 2009 award marks the fifth time in the last eight years that Air Products has won, and it is the first time the company has been recognized in both the gases and chemicals categories in the same year. 

 

CryoVation Joins AIWD
2010.02
CryoVation (www.CryoVation.com) has been selected as a new member of the Association of Independent Welding Distributors (AIWD). The Company was voted as a new member by the AIWD board following its annual conference in Puerto Rico last November, where CryoVation was a presenting vendor. AIWD is a purchasing cooperative consisting of a wide range of small, medium, and large welding supply distributors. The cooperative negotiates with primary and approved vendors on behalf of the group. AIWD has more than 130 members across the country, with combined sales of approximately $680 million. 

 

CTR and Ratermann Ink Marketing Agreement
2010.02
CTR Inc. (www.ctrinc.com), a leader in cryogenic and gas handling equipment, has signed a joint marketing agreement with Ratermann Manufacturing (RMI) (www.rmiorder.com).The marketing program brings several CTR products to the Ratermann portfolio. These include the Argon-A-Mizer, Gatekeeper, liquid cylinder polisher, vacuum jacketed flexible hoses, dual vaporizer switching unit, and Whisper Vent products. Jeff Winegar, CTR CEO, said, “This agreement gives us a new channel of distribution and an exciting professional sales organization that will market CTR fill plant equipment.”

Brent Lockhart, VP of Sales, RMI, stated, “We are very excited to work with an organization with such an outstanding reputation and feel that our customers will truly benefit from this venture between our companies.”

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DataOnline Retains Spot on M2M 100
2010.02
The M2M 100 is a directory of the most important and influential machine-tomachine technology providers as determined by the editors of M2M magazine and its editorial advisory board. It is designed to provide a snapshot of the market and the companies with the greatest impact on its direction. Recently, DataOnline (www.dataonline.com) was selected to be on the top 100 list for the third year in a row. Companies are chosen for the M2M 100 based on a number of criteria, including strength and number of customer references; establishment in the market; growth potential; and active involvement in and support for the M2M community.

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Gascarbo HACCP Certified for CO2
2010.02
Gascarbo S.A. (www.gascarbo.com.ar), an independent CO₂ producer located in Talar de Pacheco, Buenos Aires, has been certified by Lloyd’s Register Quality Assurance Limited for the Management of a Food Safety Hazard Analysis (HACCP) system for the production and distribution of carbon dioxide. Founded in 1951, Gascarbo is an independent CO₂ producer that supplies the food and beverage industries in Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, and southern Brazil.
“Gascarbo is the first in Argentina to obtain such certification, following a requirement made by The Coca-Cola Company in early 2009 to its CO₂ suppliers,” explains VP Osvaldo Coria. 

 

HCl Innovations Announces New Source
2010.02
HCl Innovations (www.hclinnovations.com) of LaPorte, TX, announced the availability of a new source, Formosa Plastics Corporation, for the supply of anhydrous hydrogen chloride (HCl) to the electronics, textile, pharmaceutical, and petrochemical industries. HCl Innovations will market and redistribute anhydrous HCl produced by Formosa Plastics of Baton Rouge, LA. Formosa Plastics has installed equipment to load this product into tube trailers for purchase.

“HCl Innovations will market HCl in tube trailers,” said Ashley Madray, President of HCl Innovations. “We are happy to have Formosa as an additional supplier to support the market’s demand with an assured supply.” (See “The Hydrogen Chloride Market Report,” CGI, December 2009, p. 30 for more information on this product.)

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nexAir Relocates Atlanta Branch
2010.02
Memphis-based atmospheric gases and welding distributor nexAir (www.nexAir.com) has relocated its Atlanta branch to 810 Brogdon Road in Suwanee, GA. In May 2008, nexAir acquired Atlanta-based Specialty Gases Southeast. This acquisition enabled nexAir to expand its product offerings in the Atlanta region to include more specialty, medical, and industrial gas offerings, as well as dry ice. The company made the decision to move its Atlanta branch in order to provide a more convenient location for customers and drivers.

“It’s been exciting to be part of nexAir’s expanding reach into the Atlanta market, and our new location will be integral to continuing our growth throughout the area,” said Brian Yarmowich, VP of nexAir Atlanta. “This relocation will not only allow us to operate more effectively, but it also puts us in a position to better serve our customers.”

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Servomex Honored with ISA Award
2010.02
Servomex (www.servomex.com) has been awarded Second Place for Best Technical Paper by the International Society of Automation’s Analytical Division (ISA-AD). The Company was given the 2009 Gilmer/ Thomason/Fowler/Konrad award for “A Comparative Analysis of the Errors in the Measurement of Oxygen Between In-situ and Extractive Methods,” which was presented to the symposium in Houston, TX, by David Fahle, VP Hydrocarbon Processing — Americas. In this paper, Servomex offers professionals interested in the selection of oxygen analyzers increased understanding of the capabilities of the available techniques — enabling them to make more informed decisions about which methods would be most suitable for their process requirements.

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HUMMINGBIRD Takes Flight
2010.02
HUMMINGBIRD Sensing Technology has launched www.hummingbirdsensing.com, a website that supports the Company’s business platform as a manufacturer of gas sensors for the OEM market. HUMMINGBIRD sensors detect a range of gases including oxygen, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and methane, making them suitable for a range of applications including Continuous Emissions Monitoring (CEMS), fruit storage, food packaging, calorimetry, and vehicle exhaust testing. 

 

China Hosts International Gases Exhibition
2010.02
The 11th China International Exhibition on Gases Technology, Equipment, and Application (IG, China 2009) and the 2009 China International Exhibition on Liquid Natural Gas, Gas Refueling Station, and Hydrogen Technology, Equipment, and Application (LNG 2009), organized by the China Industrial Gases Industry Association, were held in the Beijing National Agriculture Exhibition Center, from December 9–11, 2009. The exhibition included the China Gases Forum, a platform for the discussion of industrial gases. With more than 190 exhibitors from 15 countries and regions, the 2009 IG China event was the largest to date. 

 

Cavagna Acquires CEM Assets
2010.02
The Cavagna Group S.P.A. (www.cavagnagroup.com) of Chile has agreed to acquire all valve and regulator assets of the CEM S.A. Group of Chile. The Cavagna Group has production facilities in Italy, China, Venezuela, Colombia, Portugal, and Thailand.

Davide Cavagna, CEO of the Cavagna Group, said: “Through this agreement we confirm our commitment towards our customers in strengthening our presence in the LPG market, compressed gases for industrial and medical applications, cryogenic gases, and natural gas.” 

 

INOX India Acquires CVA
2010.02
INOX India, Ltd. (www.inoxindia.com) and Cryogenic Vessel Alternatives (CVA) (www.cvatanks.com) have announced that INOX has acquired the majority of shares of CVA, located in Mont Belvieu, TX. Both INOX and CVA will continue to offer their customers products and service, now with enhanced product offerings worldwide. The partnership between the two companies will strengthen their combined market positions around the world and create a strong platform for sustainable growth and ongoing success.

CVA owners Chris Carr, Hector Villarreal, and Dean Corbin will continue to play leadership roles in the Company and look forward to leveraging the significant geographical market and product synergies resulting from this new partnership.

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MTG Acquires ETOX and Gastech
2010.02
Matheson Tri-Gas, Inc. (MTG) (www.mathesontri-gas.com) has acquired the assets and business of ETOX, Inc. and Gastech, LLC. Based in Tyler, TX, and Texarkana, TX respectively, the businesses have operations throughout Eastern and Central Texas, Southeastern Arkansas, and Northwestern Louisiana. The purchase will add 14 new branches to the Matheson Tri-Gas network, and the acquired business will become a new region within the Matheson Tri-Gas South Central Zone. The transaction involves all of the assets and employees of ETOX and Gastech. Frank Barker, President of ETOX, will retain his general management responsibilities for the acquired business.

William J. Kroll, Chairman and CEO of Matheson Tri-Gas, Inc. and Executive Director of Taiyo Nippon Sanso Corporation, parent Company of Matheson, stated, “This acquisition is consistent with our strategy and highlights Taiyo Nippon Sanso’s commitment to expansion through acquisition in the US Market. We have always admired ETOX as a well run company and we welcome this addition to our network. ETOX strengthens our presence throughout Eastern Texas and offers increased value to the customers of ETOX as a result of Matheson’s additional capabilities.”

Frank Barker added, “The owners are pleased by the completion of the sale to Matheson Tri-Gas. We felt that Matheson’s way of doing business would provide the best future for our employees and would allow the business to continue to grow through continued investment while maintaining the high service levels that ETOX customers have always been provided.”

Leaders LLC (www.leaders-llc.com) served as merger and acquisition advisor to ETOX in connection with this transaction.

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Cash Joins Cold Jet
2010.02
Cold Jet announced the appointment of Gary Cash as VP and Chief Technology Officer. Cash joined Cold Jet, based in Loveland, OH, to provide strategic product direction and engineering leadership. Cash most recently held the position of VP of Product Management, Marketing, and Controls Engineering for FKI Logistex, a leading single point provider of automated material flow solutions. He was directly accountable for a $15M P&L with over 60 employees while at FKI Logistex. Cash has over 20 years of experience in product management, product development, and engineering management, creating successful product launches through strategic focus and market knowledge. 

 

Linde Names Balderson Sales Manager
2010.02
Linde Canada has named Luke Balderson Sales Manager for the Manitoba and Saskatchewan provinces. Balderson will be responsible for all sales activities in Midwestern Canada, covering customers in the manufacturing, metalworking, food, and chemicals industries, as well as research organizations where specialty gases and other high purity gases play an important role. He will be based in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. Balderson joined Linde in January 2004 as a sales rep in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Since then he has held various positions in sales and market research. 

 

Third Generation Joins the Butler Gas Team
2010.02
Butler Gas Products Company, Inc. has welcomed its third generation into the family business. Abydee Butler, who had worked for the Company part-time while in college, now serves as Butler’s full-time Marketing Director. Abydee graduated in May 2009 with a BS in Marketing from Clemson University. She has completed a three-month training program at Butler Gas, supervised by Executive VP of Sales, Heather Ferrand. Abydee is enthusiastic about joining the sixty-one-year-old family business as a third generation employee and working with her father, Jack, and aunts, Barb and Debi, on the Company’s 100-year plan. 

 

Butler Gas Taps Lapinski for Customer Service Manager
2010.02
After three successful years as a branch store manager for Butler Gas Products Company, Inc. in Pittsburgh, PA, Ken Lapinski has been named as the company’s Customer Service Manager and Distribution Team Leader. Lapinski’s industry experience began when he was a young student, with his family’s business, Keystone Metal Welding in New Castle, PA. With over thirty years of industry experience, Lapinski is a knowledgeable resource for both Butler Gas Products customers and associates. 

 

Airgas Board of Directors Rejects Air Products’ Latest Offer
2010.02
February 22, 2010 – Airgas, Inc. today announced that its Board of Directors, after careful consideration with its independent financial and legal advisors, voted unanimously to reject the unsolicited tender offer from Air Products & Chemicals, Inc. (www.airproducts.com) to acquire all outstanding common shares of Airgas at a price of $60.00 per share in cash. The Board unanimously recommends that Airgas stockholders not tender their shares into Air Products’ offer.

The Board noted that the value offered by Air Products is unchanged from the unsolicited proposal Air Products made on February 4, 2010, which the Board thoroughly considered and rejected on February 9, 2010.  The basis for the Board’s recommendation with respect to the Air Products tender offer is set forth in Airgas’ Schedule 14D-9 filed today with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC").

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Full story: www.airgas.com

Linde Signs AWESCO
2010.02
February 23, 2010 – Linde North America has signed AWESCO of Albany, New York, as a new distributor in its Platinum Partner Program. Linde North America is a member of industrial gases company The Linde Group.

With its corporate headquarters in Albany and a branch location in Kingston, AWESCO, an independent gases distributor, has been selling industrial, medical, and specialty gases in the Capital and Hudson Valley Regions of New York State for 70 years.

AWESCO President and CEO J. David Mahoney said, “As the largest, independent supplier of specialty, medical, and industrial gases and technologies for New York’s Tech Valley, AWESCO is extremely pleased to partner with Linde so we can continue our long tradition of providing cutting-edge products and services to the region’s leading businesses in the medical, scientific, and industrial markets.


“Tech Valley” is so-called because of the high number of technically oriented companies located in this area of New York State – including chemical, pharmaceutical, biomedical and electronic manufacturers, as well as laboratories and universities. Since 1977 Linde has operated an air separation plant in Selkirk, New York, producing and supplying oxygen, nitrogen and argon to these customers.


The Linde Platinum Partner Program is designed to create a true partnership between Linde and independent gas and welding distributors. In addition to Linde supplying AWESCO with gas products, the two companies will work together to develop marketing programs and sales leads, as well as jointly visit customers and prospects in the region.

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Full story: www.lindeus.com

Linde Calibration Gases Certified by Chinese Bureau
2010.02
February 25, 2010 – Industrial gases company Linde Gases has been granted important GBW certification by the Chinese State Bureau of Quality and Technical Supervision, approving Linde’s production of gas reference materials from its plant in Suzhou, Jiangsu province in eastern China.

GBW is the official Chinese quality standards institute and their accreditation is a requirement for gas production facilities wishing to supply specialty calibration gas mixtures to both domestic and foreign-owned companies operating in China. This requirement is above and beyond any other ISO standards which may have been awarded, including those ISO standards for metrology. The plant will produce Linde’s HiQ® high purity gases as well as HiQ® gas mixtures for the calibration of measurement instrumentation for environmental monitoring purposes, including the detection and control of combustion emissions for power generation, and will enable Linde to better support the growing emphasis being placed by China on tackling its CO2 emissions.


To achieve the GBW certification, Linde made significant investments in plant operations. “Previously customers had limited options when sourcing measurement standards that met both Chinese and international standards. Now they can reliably purchase from a reputable global manufacturer known for its production quality and highest available consistency across its specialty gases ranges,” said Stephen Harrison, Global Head of Specialty Gases and Specialty Equipment, Linde. “We are delighted that the Chinese authorities have formally recognised our efforts by awarding us the GBW certification.”

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Full story: www.linde.com

Airgas to Supply Utilities Service Alliance
2010.02
March 2, 2010 – Airgas, Inc. has signed a supply agreement with Utilities Service Alliance (USA). Based in Overland Park, KS, USA is a non-profit cooperative of 15 electric utilities that operate 17 nuclear power stations across the United States. Airgas will provide 15 USA-member nuclear power plants with industrial gases, specialty gases, liquid dewars, safety products and welding hardgoods. The five-year agreement, with estimated annual sales of $6 million, is part of the Airgas Strategic Accounts program established specifically for multi-location customers who benefit from sole-source supply and supply chain management services.

“The Airgas and USA relationship began just over three years ago with Airgas providing safety products and welding hardgoods to five USA-member nuclear power plants,” said Steve Hope, Airgas Vice President for Energy Markets. “We met their expectations and have now added industrial and specialty gases to the products we provide, and we’ve added 10 additional nuclear utilities. Key to success with USA is efficient supply chain management, effective communication, and accurate, detailed documentation.”


“Airgas has served our locations very well with safety products and welding hardgoods,” said Daniel Dale, USA Manager of Supply Chain. “In fact our member nuclear facility at Palo Verde named Airgas Supplier of the Year last year because of their accuracy in pricing and invoicing, dedication to safety, and their attention to customer service that has created a good relationship of trust and respect for each others’ organizations.”

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Full story: www.airgas.com