Air Products has acquired the Coal Gasification Technology licensing business from Shell Global Solutions International for undisclosed amount.
Image: Air Products' corporate headquarters located in Pennsylvania, US. Photo courtesy of Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.
As per the deal signed earlier this year, Air Products has acquired Shell’s associated patent portfolios for solids (coal and biomass) gasification and sharing of patent rights for residue and biomass gasification.
Air Products said that it has also formed strategic alliance with Shell for residue gasification technology to refinery complexes.
The acquisition extends Air Products’ offerings in synthesis gas (syngas) to provide turn-key sale-of-gas gasification facilities for solids (coal and biomass) and liquids (refinery residues), the firm noted.
Air Products chairman, president and CEO Seifi Ghasemi said: “Air Products now has immediate access to Shell’s proven technology and a successful business, with that technology already in place at nearly 200 gasification systems delivering syngas around the world.
“Beyond a strong operating base, we now have a robust technological foundation that builds on our core focus supplying the full range of industrial gases to our customers.”
Air Products said that the acquisition of Shell’s gasification process capabilities will further support its projects such as Lu’An in Changzhi, Shanxi Province, China, and future projects.
Ghasemi added: “The core value of this acquisition is the ability to build on more than 40 years of Air Products’ gasification experience and the opportunity to fully explore sale-of-gas outsourcing options to produce and supply syngas for customers planning to use gasification.
“This is a great fit for us as Shell’s strong track record in reliability and efficiency complements our own sale-of-gas offerings, which have the highest reliability levels.”
Through the new strategic alliance, Air Products seeks to offer complete sale-of-gas residue gasification facilities to the refining industry.
The firm said that it will also be a project operating partner for the supply of industrial gases in the strategic alliance, which will leverage Shell’s technology lead in the liquids (residue) gasification area.