Air Liquide upgrades, expands Houston complex

Air Liquide recently held an inauguration ceremony to celebrate the successful redevelopment of its world-scale complex in the Bayport Industrial District of Texas, just east of Houston.

The project included upgrades to four state-of-the-art, energy efficient cogeneration units to increase production capacity and extend the life of the units by more than 20 years. 

The facility now has the capacity to produce 300 megawatts of electricity and more than 1,300 tons/hour of steam. The project also included replacement of three auxiliary boilers and plant infrastructure upgrades that support the existing air separation units.

Air Liquide says it has invested around $230 million in the project (investment decided in 2013), which began in November 2013 and concluded in February 2016. The investment is supported by a long-term contract renewal within the Bayport Industrial District  and will also help Air Liquide meet the growing needs of other customers throughout the Texas regional basin.

“We are proud to stand beside many of our valued customers, local leaders and members of the community today as we celebrate the renewal and growth of our operations on the Texas Gulf Coast," said John Buckley, CEO of Air Liquide USA. "The redevelopment of our Bayport facility, which is Air Liquide’s largest industrial complex in North America, has positioned us to better serve the growing needs of our customers in this region in a safe, reliable and efficient way.”

Air Liquide employs nearly 100 people in the Bayport Industrial District, which is located adjacent to the cities of La Porte and Pasadena, Texas. Approximately 250 temporary construction jobs were created for the multi-phased redevelopment project.

Air Liquide’s Bayport complex covers 88 acres of land and supplies oxygen, nitrogen, argon, hydrogen, electricity, steam, and industrial and demineralized water to customers in many industries. 

The facility is central to Air Liquide’s extensive Gulf Coast Pipeline System, which encompasses approximately 2,000 miles of pipeline along the Gulf Coast of Texas and Louisiana. The facility is also includes a major bulk distribution depot.