LEHIGH VALLEY, Pa., Sept. 27, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- To encourage and accelerate the deployment of clean hydrogen energy to promote sustainable growth, Air Products will sponsor the 3^rd International Hydrogen Fuel Cell Vehicle Congress (FCVC) 2018 and the pre-congress Hydrogen Fuel Cell Vehicle Itinerant Exhibition & Roadshow (FCVI), which is the first ever in the Yangtze River Delta Region in East China.

The series of events, organized by the International Hydrogen Fuel Cell Association (IHFCA) and the Society of Automotive Engineers of China (SAE-China), will kick off on October 12 in Jiangsu Province's Rugao, a pilot city in China for hydrogen-based economy demonstration under the United Nations Development Programme, stop over in Nantong and Shanghai, and conclude at FCVC 2018, which will take place from October 23-25 in Rugao.

As one of the key sponsors, Air Products will use its proprietary SmartFuel^® technology mobile hydrogen fueling station and fuel grade hydrogen to fill hydrogen cars made by some well-known automotive manufacturers along the events.

At FCVC 2018, Frank Yu, vice president‒Eastern China at Air Products, will deliver a speech titled, "Building the Hydrogen Infrastructure to Support the Development of Fuel Cell Vehicles." In addition, the company will showcase its total hydrogen solution including hydrogen production, storage, transportation and advanced dispensing technology.

"We are honored to participate and support the series of events and to advocate clean hydrogen energy through knowledge-sharing and education," said Mr. Yu. "Air Products has been actively promoting hydrogen and its applications through our proven, reliable technology and total solution covering the entire hydrogen value chain for a greener environment. Working together with our customers and partners, we strive to support the building of the Yangtze River Delta regional hydrogen corridor to create a more sustainable future for this city cluster."

Air Products will continue to increase hydrogen production capacity in the Yangtze River Delta to supply high quality hydrogen to local customers. Early this year, the company signed an agreement with the state-owned Shenhua New Energy Co. Ltd. to provide two hydrogen dispensers to China Energy Investment Corporation Limited's first hydrogen fueling station being built in Rugao.

In China, Air Products has previously participated in several hydrogen demonstration projects, including the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, 2010 Asian Games, and 2011 Shenzhen Universiade, to drive the use of this clean energy. The company has recently signed agreements with Fullcryo to support its first, as well as China's first, commercial-scale liquid hydrogen-based fueling station. As a key member of the National Alliance of Hydrogen and Fuel Cell, and the vice chairman company for IHFCA, Air Products has been supporting the hydrogen energy blueprint outlined in the country's 13^th Five-Year Plan.

"We are pleased to play a role in driving clean energy and to support the Chinese government's 13^th Five-Year Plan. Air Products has been involved in more than 250 hydrogen fueling projects in over 20 countries around the world, and we see this as another opportunity to continue bringing our experience in advanced hydrogen supply and dispensing technologies to China," emphasized Saw Choon Seong, China president at Air Products.

Hydrogen is an ideal solution for clean and sustainable energy. It is abundant, non-toxic and can be produced from renewable resources. When used in a fuel cell, hydrogen is 2.5 times more efficient than gasoline or diesel in an internal combustion engine, and only emits water mist from the tailpipe.

Air Products has more than 60 years of hydrogen experience and an extensive patent portfolio with over 50 patents in hydrogen dispensing technology. Its SmartFuel^® hydrogen fueling technology has been adopted in the SAE's (Society of Automotive Engineers) hydrogen fueling protocol and practiced worldwide. The company has joined the Hydrogen Council, a global CEO coalition for hydrogen technologies, as a steering member.

About Air Products
Air Products (NYSE: APD) is a world-leading Industrial Gases company in operation for over 75 years. The Company's core industrial gases business provides atmospheric and process gases and related equipment to manufacturing markets, including refining and petrochemical, metals, electronics, and food and beverage. Air Products is also the world's leading supplier of liquefied natural gas process technology and equipment.

The Company had fiscal 2017 sales of $8.2 billion from continuing operations in 50 countries and has a current market capitalization of about $35 billion. Approximately 15,000 passionate, talented and committed employees from a diversity of backgrounds are driven by Air Products' higher purpose to create innovative solutions that benefit the environment, enhance sustainability and address the challenges facing customers, communities and the world. For more information, visit www.airproducts.com.

NOTE: This release may contain forward-looking statements within the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements are based on management's reasonable expectations and assumptions as of the date of this release regarding important risk factors. Actual performance and financial results may differ materially from projections and estimates expressed in the forward-looking statements because of many factors not anticipated by management, including risk factors described in the Company's Form 10K for its fiscal year ended September 30, 2017.

View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/air-products-to-sponsor-yangtze-river-deltas-first-hydrogen-fuel-cell-vehicle-itinerant-exhibition--roadshow-and-fcvc-2018-in-china-300720359.html

SOURCE Air Products