Air Products has signed a long-term agreement with Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd. (BPCL) to build, own and operate a syngas plant at the Indian group’s Kochi refinery.

The unit will employ Air Products’ proprietary cryogenic gas separation technologies to produce a hydrogen/carbon monoxide syngas that will feed BPCL’s new propylene derivatives petrochemical project (PDPP) at Kochi. Propylene from BPCL’s new plant will reportedly feed downstream units for acrylic acid, acrylates and oxo-alcohols. Start-up is expected sometime this year.

“The PDPP enables BPCL to enter the Indian petrochemical market and enhance the value obtained from its refining operations,” said Prasad Panicker, executive director of BPCL’s Kochi refinery.

The addition of the syngas unit will complement Air Products’ existing operations at the refinery, to which it has been supplying hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen and steam since 2017.

“As one of the fastest growing economies in the world, we are certainly focused on making sound investments in India with reputable companies like BPCL,” said Seifi Ghasemi, chairman, president and CEO of Air Products. He added that the gases group wants to continue growing its presence and strengthening its relationships in the  region.