Air Products to open facility in Uzbekistan

Air Products recently signed a $1 billion investment agreement with the Government of the Republic of Uzbekistan and Uzbekneftegaz JSC (UNG), an Uzbek state-owned company producing, storing, processing, and selling oil and gas, to own and operate a natural gas-to-syngas processing facility in Qashqadaryo Province, Uzbekistan.

Under the agreement, Air Products will acquire, own and operate within the gas-to-liquid (GTL) complex two large-scale air separation units, two large-scale auto-thermal reforming units, and a hydrogen production unit. The company will supply oxygen, nitrogen, hydrogen and syngas under a long-term, take-or-pay/fixed fee contract to UNG that will supply the feedstock natural gas and utilities and offtake all products.

“Air Products is proud to be deploying our knowledge, experience and technology to help nations around the world access and maximize their abundant energy sources more sustainably,” Seifi Ghasemi, Air Products chairman, president and CEO, said. “With this strategic acquisition in Uzbekistan, a high-growth environment underpinned by strong government support, we will bring our best-in-class operational and supply competencies to bear. This will enable UNG to seamlessly produce low-cost, high-purity fuels that enable the Republic to meet its growing energy production and societal needs.”

The GTL facility produces 1.5 million tons annually of synthetic fuels.