The Mexican government continues with the indemnification process for Pemex to operate the U-3400 hydrogen plant in place of the French company Air Liquide.
On December 29, 2023, an executive decree was published in Mexico‘s Official Journal of the Federation (DOF) designating the supply of hydrogen from the U-3400 hydrogen plant at Pemex’s Miguel Hidalgo refinery in Tula de Allende as being in the public interest.
According to the decree, Pemex Transformación Industrial, a subsidiary of Pemex, will take over operations of the plant and will be responsible for compensation to be paid to the former operators of the plant in connection with the declaration of public interest and as required by applicable law.
The decree orders Pemex to «temporarily occupy» the plant.
Hydrogen plants are industrial facilities dedicated to the production of hydrogen, which is a gas used in various applications, such as the chemical industry, oil refining, steel production and, more recently, as fuel in fuel cells for vehicles and renewable energy systems.
In particular, Air Liquide operated the U-3400 hydrogen plant under a contract signed in 2017 with a fixed and variable cost.
According to reports, the terms of the 20-year contract include a monthly capacity fee of $1.47 million with daily delivery of 90,000 m3, maintenance and progressive efficiency improvements at the Tula refinery plant.
U-3400 hydrogen plant
Air Liquide is a French multinational company specializing in the production of industrial gases and related services.
As a leader for more than 60 years and with unique know-how and technologies, Air Liquide defines itself as a major player in accelerating and expanding the development of hydrogen, a key element in the emergence of a low-carbon society.
Hydrogen
A world leader in gases, technologies and services for industry and healthcare, Air Liquide is present in 75 countries with approximately 66,400 employees and serves more than 3.8 million customers and patients.
In particular, hydrogen is an essential element in Tula’s refinery operations. It is used to break down heavy molecules of crude oil into lighter molecules of refined fuels and petrochemicals. It is also used to remove sulfur and other impurities and is a component in the production of ammonia, which is used for fertilizers and many industrial chemicals.