Air Liquide Arabia (Alar), a joint venture between France-based Air Liquide and Saudi Industrialization and Energy Services Company (Taqa), has announced the startup of the Middle East’s first hydrogen pipeline network in the industrial city of Jubail, on the east coast of the kingdom.

A world leader in gases, technologies and services for industry and health, Air Liquide is present in 80 countries with approximately 67,000 employees and serves more than three million customers.

In 2015, the company has started up its global-scale hydrogen production site in Yanbu Industrial City, with a total hydrogen capacity of 340,000 Nm-cubic per hour.

Designed to transport large volumes of hydrogen to customers in both Jubail I and Jubail II, the network contributes to the development of the downstream industry, the optimization of natural resources and the increase of energy savings within the Kingdom.

With a total length of over 21 km, the Alar hydrogen pipeline provides large organisations, as well as small and medium enterprises in industries such as refining, petrochemicals, polysilicon, glass and steel, with a cost-effective and reliable alternative to existing supply solutions, contributing to enhance their industrial competitiveness, while increasing the environmental performance of the industrial city of Jubail.

Aligned with the kingdom’s Vision 2030 objectives, and made possible through the support of the Saudi authorities, the hydrogen pipeline network increases the attractiveness of Jubail for high value-added industries, thereby creating employment opportunities for Saudi nationals. The Alar Hydrogen Pipeline Network brings world-class hydrogen capabilities to Jubail.

For this project, Air Liquide Arabia deployed the expertise of the large industries business line of the Air Liquide Group in building, owning, operating and maintaining hydrogen networks – these same capabilities are demonstrated by Air Liquide in many of the world’s largest industrial basins such as the US Gulf Coast, Northern Europe and Asia.