Oxygen, nitrogen and hydrogen are essential small molecules for life, matter and energy. They embody Air Liquide’s scientific territory and have been at the core of the company’s activities since its creation in 1902. A world leader in gases, technologies and services for industry and health, Air Liquide’s ambition is to deliver long-term performance and contributions to sustainability, with a strong commitment to climate change and energy transition at the heart of its strategy.
Liquid Hydrogen Investment in US: Recently, Air Liquide officially opened its largest liquid hydrogen production and logistics infrastructure facility in North Las Vegas, Nevada. The facility aims to supply the growing needs for hydrogen mobility and will also provide hydrogen to a wide array of industries while the mobility market continues to mature.
The facility and the associated logistics infrastructure, marks a $250 million investment by Air Liquide in the US hydrogen market and will position Nevada as a leader in hydrogen energy production. The new facility will produce 30 tonnes of liquid hydrogen per day, which will be utilized by various customers, notably those in the growing clean mobility market on the West Coast, especially California. Additionally, the facility will be powered by fully renewable electricity and will use renewable natural gas to meet the California Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) when supplying the California mobility market[1]. In this context, the facility will be able to provide enough renewable hydrogen for over 40,000 fuel cell vehicles in California. This will significantly improve the hydrogen supply for mobility, a critical enabler for market growth. While the clean mobility market continues to mature, the plant configuration will also allow for the sale of hydrogen to a wide array of sectors with a range of renewable and low-carbon options for customers.
In alignment with Air Liquide’s sustainability objectives, the North Las Vegas liquid hydrogen production facility aims to accelerate hydrogen development and contribute to the Group’s goal of at least tripling hydrogen sales to reach 6 billion euros, or nearly $6.5 billion USD by 2035. Michael Graff, chairman and CEO of American Air Liquide Holdings, Inc. and executive vice president of Air Liquide Group commented on the US expansion: “Air Liquide has supported the clean mobility market on the west coast since its infancy, and the North Las Vegas facility is a milestone in our decades-long leadership of the US hydrogen market. This facility is an illustration of our commitment and ability to usher sustainable markets into the future, while creating jobs and fostering economic growth in the present. By providing a reliable supply of hydrogen to California’s mobility market and the region’s industrial customers, we are making a significant investment in the transition towards a more sustainable future, one with hydrogen at its core.”
Image: Air Liquide's liquid hydrogen production plant in Nevada. Credit: Matthieu Giard (LinkedIn.com).
