Air Liquide SA (Paris) has announced that it will invest over $200 million to expand its production capabilities at Oxea GmbH’s (Monheim am Rhein, Germany) Bay City, Texas, site, as per Chemweek.
The investment will include Air Liquide constructing a partial oxidation (POX) unit at the facility. The POX unit will provide large-scale syngas and low-carbon hydrogen production to support Oxea’s rising chemical demand, as well as its own expansion of oxo-alcohols and performance chemicals operations. The unit is scheduled to be online for the beginning of 2029.
Air Liquide said the unit will be built with an innovative carbon dioxide recycling loop that will enable the recirculation of CO? back into Oxea’s reactor to optimize syngas composition and production. The facility will partially replace some existing facilities and will reduce Air Liquide’s net CO2 emissions by approximately 64,000 metric tons/year.
“This project represents a significant opportunity to align industrial growth and efficiency while demonstrating that competitive solutions can also support climate objectives,” said Matthieu Giard, Air Liquide’s Americas lead.
In May, Air Liquide and Oxea announced a 12-year extension for their Germany synthesis gas and hydrogen supply contract.
mrchub.com