Air Liquide in major gas joint venture with Sinopec

Air Liquide, the world leader in gases for industry, health and the environment, has established a joint venture with China Petroleum and Chemical Corporation (Sinopec), one of Asia’s largest petroleum and petrochemical groups.

The joint venture has been established to facilitate the supply of gaseous oxygen and nitrogen by Air Liquide to Sinopec’s branch in Maoming, Guangdong (MPCC). The gas supply will be used for MPCC’s 200,000 cubic metres per hour coal-to-hydrogen project and the expansion of its refinery in Maoming.

Air Liquide and Sinopec have entered into a 50/50 joint venture which will build, own and operate a new air separation unit (ASU). The venture will also manage MPCC’s existing ASUs. The new ASU, built using Air Liquide’s latest technology, will have a capacity of 3,000 tonnes of oxygen per day. Work is expected to commence in 2013. This will be the largest ASU to be built in China, and will also be able to produce liquid oxygen, nitrogen and argon.