Industrial gas companies continue to supply large quantities of hydrogen through their on-site pipeline (OSP) business, which is used by oil and gas refineries, basic and specialty chemical manufacturers, and food processors.
Affected by the sputtering global economic recovery, worldwide dedicated refinery hydrogen capacity shrank -0.6% in 2014, grew 1.3% in 2015, then dropped again in 2016 by -0.9%. In smaller volumes, merchant liquid hydrogen is supplied via tube trailer and cylinder, and used in a wide range of applications including metallurgy, electronics, aerospace, fuel cells, glass, electrical power generation, and food hydrogenation.
However, the greatest demand for hydrogen continues to be the petroleum sector, where strict environmental regulations for clean air in North America and Europe require lower sulfur fuels. Industrial gas companies work with refiners to improve value through managing their energy systems so that they are more efficient and meet these government regulations. In this report, we bring readers up to date on the OSP business and the merchant hydrogen business, where stationary and mobile fuel cell technology is driving growth.
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