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Air Products plans to increase its investments in Zhengzhou and Nanyang. Author/Source: Gas Separation. Date: November 10, 2021. Clicks: 19. From November 5 to 10, the 4th China International Import Expo was held as scheduled. As a world-leading open platform, the CIIE attracts the latest products, technologies, and services to gather along the Huangpu River. These items transition from exhibits to commercial products, eventually making their way into people’s daily lives. At this year’s CIIE, Air Products, a world-leading industrial gases company from the United States, made its debut at the 2021 CIIE under the theme “Sharing Dreams, Building a Green Future”. Air Products is a global leader in industrial gases and a foremost player in the hydrogen and hydrogen energy sector. With an 80-year history, the company focuses on serving the energy, environmental, and emerging markets. It provides industrial gases, related equipment, and application expertise essential for production to customers in numerous industries, including oil refining, chemicals, metals, electronics, processing and manufacturing, as well as food and beverage. The company focuses on developing, designing, building, owning, and operating some of the world’s largest industrial gas projects, including gasification projects that convert abundant natural resources into syngas in a sustainable manner, for the production of high-value electricity, fuels, and chemical products ； Carbon capture projects ； Carbon-free projects around the world are helping with global transportation and energy transition, among other things. It is reported that Air Products was one of the first multinational gas companies to enter the Chinese market. After establishing its first facility in Shenzhen in 1987, it has continued to expand its business and investments there, becoming a leading gas supplier in the local market and growing alongside China’s social and economic development. By the end of 2020, nearly 90 business entities and over 200 production facilities had been established, along with more than a dozen ultra-large air separation units. The company has secured a solid market position across the country and continued to expand its operations. As early as 2012, the company began to promote high-quality development in Henan. Since 2012, Air Products has worked together with its clients to establish operations in Henan, where it has built and is operating an air separation unit and an integrated gas liquefaction plant. These facilities supply liquid oxygen, liquid nitrogen, and liquid argon to the region’s growing commercial gas market, thereby supporting the sustainable development of industries such as chemicals, electronics, metal processing, and glass manufacturing. It is reported that in April 2012, Air Products invested $80 million in the Xinxiang Economic Development Zone to build an air separation plant with a capacity of 65,000 Nm3/h. The plant uses the deep cryogenic air separation process to produce oxygen and nitrogen, and supplies these gas products via pipelines to Henan Xinxianxin Chemical Industry Co., Ltd. Additionally, in November 2019, the company established a new wholly-owned subsidiary, Air Products (Zhumadian) Gas Co., Ltd., in Zhumadian City, Henan Province. The company plans to construct and operate facilities such as air separation units, gasification units, and purification systems to convert coal into syngas and carbon monoxide. These facilities will supply industrial gases for Henan Junhua Group’s production of ammonia, acetic acid, and DMF. Recognizing the tremendous potential and business opportunities in the transformation of Henan’s manufacturing sector, this is Air Products’ second appearance as an exhibitor at the CIIE this year. At last year’s CIIE, Air Products held discussions with Henan Province and Zhengzhou City**, exchanging ideas on the development of clean energy. At this year’s CIIE, Feng Yan, Vice President of Air Products in China, said that the company is actively exploring more opportunities for development in Henan, particularly in the field of hydrogen energy. By strengthening collaboration with ** and partners, we aim to help Henan develop green energy and achieve a green and low-carbon transition under the “dual carbon” goals. It is understood that Air Products has always regarded Henan as an important strategic region, aiming to expand its business there in order to help build Henan into a major national center for advanced manufacturing and to contribute to the development of strategic emerging industries. As a pioneer in the field of global hydrogen infrastructure, we aim to leverage our world-leading hydrogen technology expertise to work together with Henan Province to accelerate the development of hydrogen infrastructure, advance the strategic planning of Henan’s hydrogen industry chain, and contribute to the rapid growth of hydrogen energy in this region. Currently, new projects are under discussion. In Zhengzhou, Air Products’ China Hydrogen Valley project in the Zhengzhou Aviation Port Area has been approved for signing during the \"Cooperation and Exchange Meeting between Henan Province and the Yangtze River Delta Region\" held on November 6, 2021. The plan is to establish the first hydrogen refueling station that meets international standards in the Zhengzhou Aviation Port Area, as well as new liquid hydrogen refueling stations, gaseous hydrogen refueling stations, and integrated energy stations, in order to supply zero-carbon hydrogen to hydrogen fuel cell vehicles ； At the same time, it is planned to establish an Air Products management company in Henan Province, as well as new projects for high-purity industrial gases, including liquid hydrogen storage tanks, vaporization stations, distribution stations, and a supporting logistics supply chain. In Nanyang, Air Products’ Nanyang Hydrogen Integration Project plans to establish a new foreign-invested enterprise in the city. At the same time, it is planned to introduce the company’s advanced technologies for hydrogen production, storage, and hydrogenation to Nanyang, thereby helping the city to develop a comprehensive infrastructure for hydrogen energy. Why such an emphasis on Henan? “As a hub for innovation in the Central Plains, Henan Province is highly open and inclusive; its economy has maintained steady growth over the years ； Moreover, the industry is well-developed with a concentrated industrial chain, offering us more opportunities for the upgrading of the manufacturing sector. ”Feng Yan said. Feng Yan said that in recent years, as an innovation hub in the central and western regions, Henan Province has implemented various policies and measures, both domestically and internationally, to promote its overall development. We have seen Henan’s determination to continuously deepen the \"delegation, regulation, and service\" reforms by focusing on aspects such as creating an international business environment, in order to further stimulate market vitality and social creativity. Externally, we also see that Henan continues to intensify its efforts in opening up. By leveraging its geographical advantage of connecting the south and north, it has fostered coordination among “four pathways”—air, land, cyber, and maritime—and synergy among “five zones,” thereby achieving steady economic growth. “This year, with the full implementation of the \"2021 982 Project Plan for Addressing Weaknesses\" in Henan Province, the province has placed greater emphasis on key areas such as industrial transformation and upgrading, the development of \"new industries, new technologies, and major infrastructure projects\", as well as ecological protection. ”Feng Yan said that Henan Province currently has a complete range of industries, with its industrial chains gradually converging; we can see the great potential and business opportunities for the transformation of the manufacturing sector in Henan’s development process. Henan Province’s favorable policy environment, clear development plan for the hydrogen energy industry, and open and inclusive business environment are making it the top choice for hydrogen energy enterprises to set up operations. This year, in order to achieve the sustainable goal of carbon neutrality, **policies are being further strengthened, which will give rise to a trillion-dollar hydrogen energy market. Henan Province began making plans as early as 2018, and subsequently issued a number of policies and action plans to promote the development of industries related to hydrogen, such as manufacturing, hydrogen fuel cells, and new energy vehicles. Feng Yan mentioned that Henan Province has a clear strategy, with all local areas working together to promote the common development of the entire hydrogen energy industry chain. At present, Henan Province, with the Zhengzhou Auto Industry Base as its core, has initially established a fuel cell vehicle industry chain that covers various fields such as hydrogen production, hydrogen storage, hydrogen refueling stations, membrane electrodes, fuel cells, on-board hydrogen storage tanks, and complete vehicles. By leveraging their respective strengths through cooperation, various cities will play a significant role in driving the development of the entire industrial chain; for example, Zhengzhou is advancing the research, development, and application of hydrogen fuel cell buses, Puyang is establishing a hydrogen energy industrial park, and Xinxiang is working on the development of hydrogen energy infrastructure. “The favorable policy environment reflects Henan Province’s determination and confidence in developing the hydrogen energy industry. ”Feng Yan said that various regions in Henan Province have offered huge hydrogen energy opportunities to enterprises, with unlimited potential.