BOC extends its reach

BOC is expanding its global hydrogen supply network a new $50 million plant in Salt Lake City, Utah.

BOC is expanding its global hydrogen supply network a new plant in Salt Lake City, Utah. BOC has now signed a total of seven hydrogen supply contracts in three years to supply US refineries.

The Salt Lake City plant, which represents an investment of nearly $50 million, will supply Chevron and Holly Corporation’s Utah subsidiary with hydrogen for cleaner fuels production at their refineries. The refiners are upgrading their facilities in accordance with the US Environmental Protection Agency’s lower-sulphur requirements for gasoline and diesel fuels.

Chevron, which is installing additional hydrotreating capacity at its 49,000 barrel per day (bpd) refinery, will take hydrogen and steam from BOC’s plant, which will be located on the Chevron site. Holly will also receive hydrogen for new hydrotreating capacity at its nearby 26,000 bpd Woods Cross refinery through a five-mile pipeline connection from the BOC facility.

Construction of the hydrogen plant is expected to begin by early July, with production commencing by mid 2006. In the US, BOC has a total of 175 million standard cubic feet a day of hydrogen due onstream in 2006, as plants at refineries in Toledo and Lima, Ohio, begin operations.