Air Liquide and Chengdu Huaqi Houpu Holding co., Ltd finalized the creation of a joint venture—Air Liquide Houpu Hydrogen Equipment co., Ltd—for the development, production and distribution of hydrogen refilling stations for fuel cell electric vehicles.

This joint venture will enable the companies to develop projects together with a view to promoting the development of a network of hydrogen stations in China. This collaboration will combine Air Liquide’s global technological expertise in clean hydrogen mobility solutions with Houpu’s leadership in the production and construction of natural gas refilling stations on the Chinese market.

This agreement is aligned with the Chinese government’s 13^th five-year plan, which aims to support clean mobility through, in particular, the development and sale of fuel cell electric vehicles.

The creation of this joint venture with Houpu illustrates the willingness of the Chinese market players to contribute to decarbonize transportation, reduce urban pollution and preserve the environment. Air Liquide is facilitating the development of hydrogen mobility and its adoption by users. This commitment, in line with the Group’s climate objectives, is all the more significant given that China is the world’s largest car market.

—François Darchis, Senior Vice-President and member of the Air Liquide group Executive Committee, supervising Innovation

Air Liquide in China operates nearly 90 plants and employs more than 4,000 employees today. With a strong presence in the key coastal industrial areas, Air Liquide is now expanding into the center, south and west. Its main business activities include industrial and medical gas operations, Engineering & Construction (designing, manufacturing and installing air separation units/hydrogen facilities), as well as Innovation activities.

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.

Houpu is a Chinese listed company that provides clean energy refueling equipment and related services. More than 5,000 natural gas refilling equipment are supplied to more than 2,800 customers worldwide. In the field of natural gas and hydrogen energy refilling, Houpu’s capability covers the whole value chain including engineering, equipment research and manufacture, integration, installation and after-sales service.