LEHIGH VALLEY, Pa., June 18, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Saudi Aramco and Air Products (NYSE: APD) today inaugurated the first hydrogen fueling station in Saudi Arabia at Air Products' new Technology Center in the Dhahran Techno Valley Science Park. The pilot station will fuel an initial fleet of six Toyota Mirai fuel cell electric vehicles with high-purity compressed hydrogen.

The announcement comes amid growing international recognition of hydrogen's benefits. A report released last week by the International Energy Agency (IEA) concludes that hydrogen has vast potential to help the world reduce emissions while addressing its energy needs.

"This pilot project represents an exciting opportunity for Saudi Aramco and Air Products to demonstrate the potential of hydrogen in the transport sector and its viability as a sustainable fuel for the future," said Amin H. Nasser, President and Chief Executive Officer of Saudi Aramco. "Today's milestone is an important step in making oil-to-hydrogen a reality as Saudi Aramco continues to be focused on creating breakthrough technologies and solutions as part of our long term efforts to reduce carbon emissions and address climate concerns."

"It is well known that our world needs a sustainable system to address environmental challenges while also meeting growing energy demand. Hydrogen and fuel cell technologies are well positioned to be part of the solution," said Seifi Ghasemi, Air Products' Chairman, President and CEO. "We are honored to collaborate with Saudi Aramco to establish and develop a sustainable, hydrocarbon-based hydrogen supply system for fuel cell vehicles in Saudi Arabia."

The new fueling station combines Saudi Aramco's industrial and technological experience with Air Products' know-how and experience in the field of hydrogen fueling.

Air Products' proprietary SmartFuel^® hydrogen fueling technology will be incorporated into the new station to supply Toyota Mirai Fuel Cell Vehicles with compressed hydrogen. The data collected during the initial phase of this project will provide valuable information for the assessment of future applications of this emerging and diverse transport technology in the local environment.  

It is expected that the fleet of Toyota Mirai vehicles will have a driving range of 500km with water as their only emission and the ability to be fueled in five minutes as opposed to an hour for traditional battery electric vehicles. This would demonstrate the potential of hydrogen fueled vehicles to make a significant contribution to a clean, secure, and affordable energy future.

About Saudi Aramco
Saudi Aramco is a global integrated energy and chemicals company. It is driven by the core belief that energy is opportunity. From producing approximately one in every eight barrels of the world's oil supply to developing new energy technologies, Saudi Aramco focuses on making resources more dependable, more sustainable, and more useful. This helps promote stability and long-term growth around the world. www.saudiaramco.com  

About Air Products
Air Products (NYSE:APD) is a world-leading industrial gases company in operation for over 75 years. The Company provides industrial gases and related equipment to dozens of industries, including refining, chemical, metals, electronics, manufacturing, 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 2018 sales of $8.9 billion from operations in 50 countries and has a current market capitalization of about $40 billion. Approximately 16,000 passionate, talented and committed employees from diverse 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, 2018.

About Dhahran Techno Valley Company
The Dhahran Techno Valley Company (DTVC)—a wholly owned subsidiary of the King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM)—is a key driver of the Dhahran Techno Valley Ecosystem, which was created to promote a knowledge-based economy in Dhahran and in the Eastern Province. This ecosystem includes KFUPM, national champions such as Saudi Aramco, SABIC and SEC, technology partners and small-to-medium size enterprises.

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SOURCE Air Products