Air Products Canada to build and operate a new hydrogen plant in Edmonton

Lehigh Valley, PA – March 9, 2004 – Air Products and Chemicals says its subsidiary, Air Products Canada, will construct a 71 million standard-cubic-feet-per-day hydrogen production plant to serve the Petro-Canada refinery in Edmonton, AB. The hydrogen and steam generating facility, which will be owned and operated by Air Products under a long-term agreement, is expected to
be on-stream in April 2006.

The hydrogen production facility, a natural gas-based steam methane reformer, will help Petro-Canada’s 135,000 barrel-per-day refinery to produce cleaner transportation fuels and other petroleum products from heavier, sour crude feedstocks. The Air Products facility will be located adjacent to the Petro-Canada refinery and will also supply other customers in the area.

“Producing hydrogen to meet the high reliability needs of our customers is an Air Products strength and has led to numerous long-term relationships within the refining industry,” said Scott Sherman, Air Products’ vice president and general manager for Energy and Process Industries worldwide.

“We are pleased to begin working with Petro-Canada on eeting its increasing hydrogen demands. The Edmonton and ort Saskatchewan area is one of three key Canadian refining centers. It is an area that will continue to grow in hydrogen demand as more oil sands crude is processed.” Sherman also indicated Air Products plans include a second larger hydrogen production facility to be
located in the same region, to be on-stream in 2008, to meet this anticipated growth.