Air Liquide’s new hydrogen plant opens

Photo courtesy of Tainan City Government

Air Liquide Far Eastern Ltd’s (ALFE, 亞東工業氣體) 25-megawatt ultra-pure, low-carbon hydrogen electrolyzer plant yesterday began operations at the Tainan Technology Industrial Park (台南科技工業區), with the aim of supplying hydrogen gas to the park’s semiconductor manufacturers. 

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Tainan Mayor Huang Wei-che (黃偉哲) said that the plant would not only aid the development of the nation’s semiconductor industry, but also open the door to “green hydrogen” applications.

“This is the world’s first ultra-pure, low-carbon hydrogen electrolyzer plant,” Huang said. “It will support the development of all sorts of potential hydrogen applications in Taiwan.”“This project illustrates the investment opportunities that exist in Taiwan for foreign businesses,” he added.

Air Liquide said the traditional method for reducing hydrogen from methane, or steam-methane reforming, is cheap, but highly polluting. However, the electrolyzer technology employed by Air Liquide produces highly pure hydrogen without any carbon dioxide. Compared with a traditional plant, the new plant would reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 35,000 tonnes per year — equivalent to how much carbon is absorbed by 1 million trees per year.

ALFE is a joint venture between France’s Air Liquide SA and Far Eastern New Century Group (遠東新世紀集團). Air Liquide is the world’s leading producer of high purity industrial gases.

In addition to the hydrogen plant in Tainan, the company is building a NT$4 billion (US$141.3 million) facility at the Hsinchu Science Park (新竹科學園區) to produce highly pure industrial gases for the semiconductor industry.

The logo of Air Liquide is pictured at Air Liquide Far Eastern Ltd’s new ultra-pure, low-carbon hydrogen electrolyzer plant in the Tainan Technology Industrial Park yesterday.
Photo courtesy of Tainan City Government