Hai Tong Da Project of Air Liquide Huan Bohai Officially Opened

A grand ceremony was held to celebrate the opening of the Hai Tong Da Project (HTD) of Air Liquide Huan Bohai Tianjin on the morning of September 19, 2008. Nearly 100 guests from Tianjin municipal government, Tianjin Binhai New Area and Air Liquide China etc. attended the ceremony. Mr. Remi Charachon, President & CEO of Air Liquide China, and Mr. Xu Datong, Vice Director of the Administrative Commission of Tianjin Binhai New Area, delivered congratulation speech.

Hai Tong Da is the first large-scale industrial gas pipeline network for Air Liquide in China. At the first phase of the project, pipelines with a total length of 160 kilometers will be built to connect Air Liquide's 4 existing plants in Tianjin Lingang and Dagang Area to deliver Oxygen, Nitrogen and Hydrogen to Air Liquide's current and potential customers. In future, the pipeline network will be further extended.

Compared to other transportation model, industrial gas pipeline is the most secure and economic way for gas transmission. It not only further improves the reliability and flexibility of industrial gas supply, but also contributes to the operation optimization of upstream production facilities. As the leading gas supplier with a history of over hundred years, Air Liquide has strong expertise in engineering design and operation of the industrial gas pipeline network. Air Liquide has built more than 8,500 km pipeline of O₂, N₂, H₂, CO and Syngas in 25 countries throughout the world.

Tianjin Binhai New Area along with Bohai Rim Economic Region is the new engine of economic growth as defined by the Chinese central government. It has becomes the third Chinese economic centre after Pearl River Delta and Changjiang Delta. Air Liquide has been steadily developing in the Tianjin market. The Group was first present in Dagang Tianjin in 1995 with an ASU and 2 hydrogen units. Ten years later, Air Liquide commissioned another ASU in Tianjin Binhai New Development District, supplying LG Bohai Chemical. Air Liquide Yongli, a joint venture created with Tianjin Soda in 2006, is currently constructing two world-scale ASUs of 2,000 tonnes/day to supply oxygen and nitrogen to Tianjin Soda. In early 2008, Air Liquide created another joint venture with Sinopec Tianjin Petroleum and Chemical Corporation (TPCC) in Dagang Tianjin, Air Liquide TPCC, which is building a new 1000 tonnes/day ASU for the new TPCC refinery and ethylene cracker projects. So far, total investment of Air Liquide in Tianjin has exceeded €200 million.

Mr. Charachon commented, "Hai Tong Da pipeline network remarks another milestone of Air Liquide's development in Tianjin. It allows us to deliver industrial gas to all customers in Binghai New Area in the near future, therefore will make positive contribution to the further improvement of the public facility and infrastructure of this Area. With the future investment of Air Liquide China in both Binhai New Area and Bohai Rim Economic Region, we will make this project the largest industrial gas pipeline network in Asia, which will contribute to the sustainable development in Tianjin and Bohai Rim Economic Region, accompanied by Air Liquide China's own growth.”