Category: News

Lehigh Valley, Pa.

Air Products (NYSE: APD) today announced it has completed the acquisition of ACP Europe SA (ACP), the largest independent carbon dioxide (CO₂) business in Continental Europe. All required customary closing conditions and regulatory approvals have been satisfied. Financial terms of the transaction are not being disclosed.

Concluding this deal enables the company to better serve existing customers and pursue new industrial gas growth opportunities. Customers will now benefit from an expanded liquid CO₂ supply position across additional European geographies and greater density throughout Continental Europe.

“This is a good, logical deal. The ACP CO2 business complements our own and provides a solid platform to deliver customer value and pursue further European industrial gas growth,” commented Ivo Bols, Air Products’ Industrial Gases President in Europe and Africa. “I have no doubt that our customers will benefit from a stronger portfolio as well as the collective and complementary expertise of our combined team.”

“With over 120 years of CO2 experience, we have built a quality, well-managed business that delivers,” commented Jan De Ridder, Director, ACP. “Becoming part of Air Products means we can look to the future with great optimism.”

ACP serves customers across a variety of applications including beverage, chemical, food and horticulture. It has more than 120 employees, four liquid CO2 production plants (with an additional facility under construction) and two dry ice production locations across Europe.

About Air Products
Air Products (NYSE:APD) is a world-leading industrial gases company in operation for over 75 years. The company provides industrial gases and related equipment to dozens of industries, including refining, chemical, metals, electronics, manufacturing, and food and beverage. Air Products is also the world’s leading supplier of liquefied natural gas process technology and equipment.

The Company had fiscal 2018 sales of $8.9 billion from operations in 50 countries and has a current market capitalization of about $35 billion. Approximately 16,000 passionate, talented and committed employees from diverse backgrounds are driven by Air Products’ higher purpose to create innovative solutions that benefit the environment, enhance sustainability and address the challenges facing customers, communities, and the world. For more information, visit www.airproducts.com.

Source:  www.airproducts.com

AYLMER, ONTARIO – Air Liquide Canada, a subsidiary of the Air Liquide Group, world leader in gases, technologies and services for industry and health, officially celebrated today the official opening of its brand new carbon dioxide (CO₂) recovery plant, located in Aylmer, Ontario.

Following the inauguration of another CO2 recovery plant in Johnstown, ON in February, this is the second such facility to be launched by Air Liquide in Ontario this year. With a capacity of 300+ Tons Per Day, the Aylmer CO2 recovery plant is authorized for the fabrication, testing, packaging and labeling of food and premium grade CO2 that is also FSSC (Food Safety System Certification) and NSF (National Sanitation Foundation) certified.

Representing an investment of close to $30 million CAD, this latest addition to Air Liquide facilities in Canada is now in full operation mode and delivers premium CO2.

“With two new CO2 Recovery plants opened within a year, we not only increase our comprehensive network of plants across Canada, but also significantly strengthen our CO2 supply to our customers in the food and beverage, water treatment and other industries. The Aylmer facility enables us to capture the raw CO2 waste feed from IGPC (Integrated Grain Producers Cooperative) Ethanol Inc., a leading Canadian ethanol supplier, and transform it into liquified CO2 gas, which is then delivered to Air Liquide Central Canada customers,” explained Bertrand Masselot, President and CEO of Air Liquide in Canada, at the grand opening ceremony.

Ross Fuller, Vice-President, Process Industries, commented: “Major industrial customers in Quebec and Ontario can now benefit from a strategically-located, high-quality gas supply source. This state-of-the-art facility is a significant investment in the local economy. Along with its sister Johnstown plant, the Aylmer CO2 recovery plant consolidates Air Liquide’s position for continued growth as a leading medical and industrial gas provider in Canada.“

Source:  Air Liquide Canada

SHANGHAI /PRNewswire/ — The industrial gases specialist Messer and CVC Capital Partners Fund VII (“CVC”) today concluded an agreement with Linde AG to acquire the majority of Linde’s gases business in North America and certain business activities in South America.

With approximately 5,100 employees, the acquired North and South American companies generated 2017 revenues of USD 1.7 billion (EUR 1.4 billion) and EBITDA of just over USD 360 million (EUR 305 million). The purchase price of USD 3.3 billion (EUR 2.8 billion) will be subject to customary adjustments at closing. The transaction is subject to the completion of the planned merger of the two industrial gases firms, Praxair and Linde, and the approval by the relevant cartel authorities.

The joint venture between Messer and CVC Fund VII will be named MG Industries and will operate under the Messer brand. As part of the transaction Messer, the world’s largest privately managed specialist for industrial gases, will contribute its Western European operating companies to MG Industries. These operations in Spain, Portugal, Switzerland, France, Benelux, Denmark and Germany employ 780 people and generated a 2017 revenue of EUR 334 million. With 5,675 employees worldwide, Messer achieved a 2017 revenue in excess of EUR 1.2 billion.

‘In creating this strategic partnership, we are seizing a unique opportunity to return to the North and South American markets and create a global player in the industrial gases sector,’ said Stefan Messer, owner and CEO of the Messer Group, with headquarters in Bad Soden, Germany. Over the course of its restructuring in 2004, the Messer Group sold its North American holdings to the French Air Liquide SA. ‘Through our industry expertise and strong engineering and application know-how, as well as the operational expertise and global network provided by CVC, we will continue to grow the acquired businesses together with their highly experienced and motivated employees.’

Alexander Dibelius, Managing Partner and Head of DACH at CVC added: ‘This is an exciting opportunity to create a new global player in the attractive industrial gases sector. We are delighted to be partnering with Messer and the Messer family with whom we have had a long-standing, trusted relationship for years. Their engineering competencies and application know-how will, amongst others, be critical aspects in further growing the acquired businesses in the future.’

About Messer

The Messer Group, which was established in 1898, is the largest privately managed specialist in industrial, medical and special gases. Under the brand “Messer – Gases for Life”, the company is active in 34 countries in Europe and Asia, as well as Algeria, with a total of more than 90 operating companies. The international activities are controlled from the Frankfurt am Main area. Stefan Messer, CEO and owner of the Messer Group, works together with the 5,765 employees in accordance with defined principles. These include a focus on customers and employees, responsible behaviour, corporate responsibility, excellence as well as trust and respect. In 2017 the industrial gas specialist generated consolidated turnover of EUR1.232 billion.

From acetylene to xenon, the Messer Group has one of the most diverse product portfolios on the market – it produces industrial gases such as oxygen, nitrogen, argon, carbon dioxide, hydrogen, helium, shielding gases for welding, specialty gases, medical gases and many different gas mixtures.

The Messer Group has state-of-the-art research and competence centers in which it develops applied technologies for the use of gases in almost every sector of industry, in food technology and environmental technology, medicine as well as research and science.

Messer started investing in China in the middle of the 90s and so far has 26 companies located in Shanghai, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Hunan, Guangdong, Sichuan, Chongqing and Yunnan provinces, with a total investment of $1.082 million and 2050 employees in 2017.The steady and successful developments have allowed Messer to join the ranks of the major foreign industrial gas providers in China.

Source:  Messer China

DANBURY, Conn. – Praxair, Inc. (NYSE:PX), in accordance with its proposed business combination with Linde AG (LIN.DE), has signed an agreement to sell the majority of its businesses in Europe to Taiyo Nippon Sanso Corporation. The businesses generated annual sales of approximately 1.3 billion euros in 2017. The purchase price for this transaction is 5.0 billion euros in cash consideration and is subject to customary adjustments at closing. This agreement is conditioned on the successful consummation of the Praxair-Linde merger and other regulatory approvals.

“We are taking a constructive approach to address regulatory concerns with the merger in the European Economic Area,” said Steve Angel, Praxair chairman and chief executive officer. “Taiyo Nippon Sanso is a strong and capable global industrial gas buyer for our assets and we are pleased that they will continue to serve the needs of our customers in Europe.”

The assets to be sold include Praxair’s industrial gases businesses in Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom and include approximately 2,500 employees.

Praxair and Linde continue to work diligently with the relevant antitrust authorities with the objective of closing the merger during the second half of 2018.

“With this acquisition, we are seizing a unique opportunity to enter the European market and establish a truly global footprint through the purchase of highly attractive assets in all the key geographies in the European Union. We look forward to growing these highly profitable businesses and welcoming the experienced and dedicated Praxair European team to TNSC,” said Yujiro Ichihara, President CEO, Taiyo Nippon Sanso Corporation.

Praxair will continue to own, operate and maintain these businesses until the closing of the merger and this European divestiture transaction.

Credit Suisse Securities acted as exclusive financial advisors to Praxair and McDermott Will & Emery UK LLP as legal advisors.

Mizuho Securities acted as primary financial advisors to TSNC and Greenberg Traurig LLP as legal advisors.

SOURCE:  Praxair.com

In 2017, the largest privately-run industrial gases specialist focused on expanding its CO2 business, among other things. Messer invested a total of 2.85 million euros in two new production facilities in Bulgaria and Bosnia-Herzegovina. Both of them have now gone into operation.

In the Bulgarian village of Katunitsa, Messer has commissioned a plant with a capacity of almost one tonne per hour. The industrial gases manufacturer obtains the CO2 from the waste air generated by an ethanol production in order to then recycle it. Many industrial processes give off CO2. Recovery plants withdraw the gas before it escapes, thereafter cleaning it in several stages to make it ready for reuse. Katunitsa is located in the centre of Bulgaria; this investment of 350,000 euros has optimised Messer’s logistics in Bulgaria, thereby enabling it to lower transport costs and provide customers with quicker deliveries.

Messer has also invested in the expansion of its CO2 business in Bosnia-Herzegovina: a new plant in Sočkovac will increase the existing capacity of 0.85 tonnes of carbon dioxide per hour by two tonnes per hour. The investment – exceeding 2.5 million euros – will allow CO2 to be exported to neighbouring countries. Production and storage as well as the transportation system meet the food industry’s high standards and are certified in accordance with HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points) and FSSC 22000 (Food Safety System Certification).

Photo:  The special properties of carbon dioxide, such as its inertness and its high solubility in water, make CO2 a versatile product with a range of uses, including, for example, in carbonated drinks.

Source:  Messer

Messer, the largest privately run industrial gases specialist, has bought BUSE Gaz S.R.L. in Romania with effect from 4 May. As part of this investment, Messer will take on all 39 employees as well as taking over all fixed assets. In about two years’ time, after expansion and modernisation, BUSE’s current headquarters in Bucharest will become the new head office of Messer in Romania.

The two companies are an ideal fit in terms of their activities and their operational and production structures: “With two cylinder gas filling plants – one in Deva and one in Valcea – as well as another filling plant in Bucharest, we are strengthening our geographic configuration and enhancing our product portfolio with liquid CO2 and dry ice,” says Wolfgang Indenhuck, Managing Director of Messer in Romania. “We will also be able to offer greater gas supply reliability and flexibility, shorter supply routes and increased proximity to our customers. However, the first important step following this acquisition will be to integrate all BUSE employees into our existing organisational structure,” adds Indenhuck.

Source:  Messer

By Mary Page Bailey

CarbonCure Technologies Inc. (Halifax, N.S., Canada; www.carboncure.com) has announced a strategic commercial relationship with Airgas, (Radnor, Pa.; www.airgas.com) an Air Liquide company, to collaborate and enhance the cement and concrete industry customer experience of adopting carbon dioxide (CO2) utilization technologies throughout the U.S. Gulf Coast region. This initiative builds upon a longstanding relationship of jointly serving some of the industry’s leading ready mix and masonry concrete producers.

“CarbonCure is excited to expand its relationship with Airgas,” says Robert Niven, CEO of CarbonCure. “This turn-key CarbonCure and Airgas offering will make it easier than ever for concrete producers to realize new production cost efficiencies while reducing concrete’s carbon footprint. At the same time, this collaboration allows CarbonCure and Airgas to jointly unlock the growing CO2 utilization market.”

CarbonCure’s technology injects carbon dioxide (CO2) sourced from the refineries of industrial emitters into concrete, where the CO2 becomes mineralized, thereby enhancing the strength of the concrete. The innovative solution helps concrete producers to lower production costs and make a meaningful contribution toward the global effort to reduce atmospheric CO2 emissions. Airgas offers concrete producers a complete value-added CO2 supply and service solution, supported by its large and reliable Gulf Coast distribution network.

“Airgas focuses on creating value for customers and acting responsibly to help preserve the environment by reducing atmospheric CO2 emissions,” says Airgas Vice President of Bulk Gas Scott Koonce. “This collaboration between Airgas and CarbonCure will ensure that concrete producers across the Gulf Coast experience exceptional customer service as they adopt these impactful technologies.”

CarbonCure is the world leader in CO2 utilization, with nearly 100 installations of its technology across North America. For for information on CarbonCure, read Concrete: Modern Engineering for an Ancient Material.

Source:   www.chemengonline.com, CarbonCure

RADNOR, Pa.- Airgas USA, LLC, an Air Liquide company, today announced plans to increase its presence in California with the construction of a new liquid carbon dioxide (CO2) production facility in Stockton, CA and the expansion of an air separation unit (ASU) in Etiwanda, CA. Once on-stream, the two facilities will significantly increase the company’s merchant gas capabilities in the state.

The new facility in Stockton, CA will produce liquid CO2 and support the manufacturing of dry ice used in a variety of customer applications, from water treatment and food chilling to freezing systems and brewing and winemaking. The plant’s process will use CO2 by-product from Pacific Ethanol’s nearby ethanol production facility. With the additional plant in Stockton, Airgas will have three strategically located CO2 plants in Northern, Central, and Southern California.

The expansion of the existing air separation unit in Etiwanda, CA will increase available supply of industrial gases to customers throughout Southern California. The expansion will produce cryogenic liquid nitrogen and oxygen to support the region’s merchant bulk gas market supplying a range of industries including healthcare, chemical, food and beverage, steel, glass, electronics as well as oil and gas industries.

The ASU expansion will be constructed within the existing facility, an energy-efficient ASU first inaugurated in 2011 by Air Liquide. This ASU benefits from Air Liquide’s innovative, cutting-edge technologies to operate efficiently, enabling Airgas to minimize power consumption and overall production costs.

Following the acquisition of Airgas by Air Liquide in May 2016, Airgas is now the leading U.S. supplier of industrial, specialty, and medical gases. The company’s full range of gas supply modes – from cylinders and dewars to MicroBulk, bulk and on-site – enables customers to optimize production processes with selection of the gas supply mode that most effectively and efficiently meets their needs.

Pascal Vinet, Airgas Chief Executive Officer, commented: “With these two new production facilities in California, we are continuing to bolster our network of Airgas production facilities throughout the region in this important and growing market. The facilities will enhance our gas supply chain output and fortify long-term reliability for our packaged and merchant gas customers throughout the western United States.”

Source:  www.airgas.com.

NRG COSIA Carbon XPRIZE contestant CarbonCure Technologies said it has led a team of five companies to demonstrate the world’s first integrated CO2 capture and utilization (CCU) from cement for concrete production.

The project built upon previous cement plant CO2 capture demonstrations and was the first project to collect cement kiln CO2 for subsequent utilization downstream in concrete production and construction.

CO2 emissions from the Cementos Argos’ Roberta cement plant near Calera, Alabama, were captured by Sustainable Energy Solutions’ (SES) cryogenic CO2 capture technology, transported by Praxair, Inc. and reused in Argos’ Glenwood (Atlanta) concrete operations equipped with CarbonCure’s CO2 utilization technology.

The concrete manufactured with the waste CO2 from the Argos Roberta cement plant was then used in a local construction project in the greater Atlanta area.

Design partners and fellow members of CarbonCure’s Carbon XPRIZE team, such as LS3P Architects, Uzun + Case Structural Engineering and Walter P. Moore Structural Engineers, complete the end to end integrated solution by creating demand for CarbonCure concrete products in the marketplace.

Kline Consulting LLC oversaw the commissioning and reporting of the industrial demonstration.

The project was an extension of Team CarbonCure’s participation in the $20 million NRG COSIA Carbon XPRIZE Challenge, which incentivizes and accelerates the development of integrated CCU technologies and new markets that convert CO2 emissions from coal and natural gas power generation into valuable products.

Team CarbonCure took the additional step of demonstrating the potential of its CCU technologies using CO2 emissions from the cement sector considering that cement production is responsible for five per cent of global CO2 emissions and is expected to be both the earliest and largest market for CCU technologies.

The consortium believes the project is important to the industry, since it demonstrates an immediately scalable and profitable low-cost CO2 utilization solution that benefits each member of the value chain—from the cement producer through to the construction site, said Nova Scotia-based CarbonCure.

An integrated, scalable and cost-effective solution is essential for the industry to meet its WBCSD CSI low-carbon technology roadmap targets, while also creating value from CO2, which is typically considered a waste product.

The project demonstrates a turn-key solution for the cement and concrete industries that could create an opportunity to profitably capture and convert cement production CO2 emissions into value-added concrete for construction projects, the company said in a statement.
The Global CO2 Initiative (GCI) estimates a potential $400 billion market opportunity for CO2 utilization products in the concrete sector alone, with the prospect of reducing 1.4 gigatonnes of annual CO2 emissions by 2030.

Source:  www.jwnenergy.com