Air Liquide Welcomes U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm to Its La Porte, TX Hydrogen Facility

Air Liquide, an employer with more than 20,000 U.S. workers, will host U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm at its hydrogen production facility in La Porte, Texas on Friday, May 28. This will mark Secretary Granholm’s first official travel outside of Washington, D.C. since her confirmation as Secretary of Energy earlier this year.  Secretary Granholm’s visit will include a briefing on Air Liquide’s innovation and investments in the advancement of hydrogen, a tour of the La Porte facility and the opportunity to meet with employees.

The La Porte Industrial Complex, which was commissioned in 2011, produces gaseous hydrogen and steam-generated electrical power.  It is Air Liquide’s largest hydrogen production facility in the U.S., capable of producing up to 125 million cubic feet per day.  The La Porte facility is connected to Air Liquide’s extensive hydrogen pipeline network, which totals more than 200 miles and includes our 3 billion cubic feet hydrogen storage cavern. 

“We are honored to welcome Secretary Granholm to the Air Liquide La Porte Industrial Complex, an  anchor of our Hydrogen Production System on the Gulf Coast,” said Mike Graff, Chairman & CEO of American Air Liquide Holdings, Inc. “Hydrogen is essential for the transition to a low-carbon energy economy. While creating thousands of American jobs, hydrogen will help transform the current energy system by providing a reliable, affordable, secure and versatile low-carbon energy source. We look forward to continuing our decades-long partnership with the U.S. Department of Energy and are encouraged by this Administration’s support for advancing private investment and accelerating the deployment of low-carbon and renewable hydrogen. Air Liquide shares the Administration’s commitment to ensuring hydrogen plays a critical role in the Clean Energy Transition as the U.S. continues its energy leadership in the 21st century.”

Air Liquide’s commitment to hydrogen energy
Over the past 50 years, Air Liquide has developed unique expertise enabling it to master the entire hydrogen supply chain, from production and storage to distribution and the development of applications for end users, thus contributing to the widespread use of hydrogen as a clean energy source, for mobility in particular. Air Liquide has designed and installed more than 120 stations around the world to date. Hydrogen is an alternative fuel meeting the challenges of clean transportation and contributes to the improvement of air quality. Used in a fuel cell, hydrogen combines with oxygen in the air to produce electricity, emitting only water. It does not generate any pollution at the point of use: zero greenhouse gases, zero particles and zero noise. Hydrogen provides a solution to the challenges posed by sustainable mobility and regional pollution.