Linde to build hydrogen plant for chemical complex in Northeast China

The technology group The Linde Group is set to build and operate a new hydrogen plant in the Jilin Chemical Industrial Park (JCIP) in Northeast China. The company will be investing around EUR 42 million in the first phase of this new project.

The hydrogen plant is expected to come on stream by the end of 2013, supplying several companies in the Jilin chemical complex with high-purity hydrogen. This park is home to the production facilities run by Evonik Industries and Jishen, a joint venture between the PetroChina Jilin Beifang Chemical Group and the Jilin Shenhua Group.

“The project further strengthens our leading position as a gases and engineering player in China,” says Sanjiv Lamba, Member of the Executive Board of Linde AG responsible for Asia. “We are delighted to see more and more large-scale industrial developments in this dynamic region and – together with our partners – we are committed to supporting the development of these projects as we move forward.”

The new hydrogen plant will use steam methane reforming (SMR) to produce 25,000 normal cubic metres of hydrogen per hour. It will be built by Linde’s Engineering Division and operated by its Gases Division. In addition, Linde will set up a subsidiary, Linde Gases Jilin, to focus on further expanding the gas supply infrastructure in and around the JCIP chemical complex.

Chemical companies Jishen, Evonik Industries and Huntsman are investing around EUR 390 million in total to construct a chemical hub in Jilin that will produce high-pressure propylene oxide (HPPO). Evonik is building a 230 kta hydrogen peroxide plant to supply Jishen’s 300 kta HPPO plant. Jishen will then supply the HPPO to Huntsman for its polyol plant.

The chemical hub will produce the building blocks for polyurethane plastics. These plastics are used to make a wide variety of products such as fibres, shoe soles, foam insulation, adhesives, mattresses and car seats.