Air Products Completes Shell Gasification Buy

Air Products has completed the acquisition of Shell’s coal gasification technology licensing business. Financial terms of the deal, which was first announced in January, were not disclosed.

The purchase includes Shell's patent portfolios for coal and biomass gasification and the sharing of patent rights for residue and biomass gasification. The US industrial gases group said the move extends its offerings in syngas to provide turnkey sale-of-gas gasification facilities.

"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," said Seifi Ghasemi, Air Products chairman, president and CEO.

The companies have also formed a strategic alliance for (residue) gasification technology for refineries. Under the alliance, which will leverage Shell’s technology, Air Products will offer sale-of-gas residue-gasification units to refiners and will be a project operating partner for the supply of industrial gases.

In separate news, Air Products has inaugurated an engineering center at Pune in Maharashtra, India. The center will provide technology and equipment for air separation, hydrogen generation and associated technologies for industrial gases application. It will act as an engineering, procurement and construction innovation hub for the group’s operations in India and worldwide.

“Air Products has strategic plans to expand its operations in India. The opening of the Pune Center is a significant step forward in meeting our business goal,” said Sadhan Banerjee, managing director of Air Products India.