Air Products Reinforces Leading Position in Taiwan's Tainan Science-Based Industrial Park with Additional Nitrogen Capacity and Pipeline Expansion

Expansion to Serve Growing Local Electronics Market

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Nov 27, 2012, 10:30 ET

LEHIGH VALLEY, Pa., Nov. 27, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Air Products (NYSE: APD) today announced that its subsidiary in Taiwan, Air Products San Fu Co. Ltd., will again increase production of ultra high-purity (UHP) nitrogen and expand its nitrogen pipeline serving the electronics industry in Tainan Science-Based Industrial Park (TSIP) and Tree Valley Science and Industry Park (TVSIP), which is located adjacent to TSIP in Tainan, Taiwan.

Air Products San Fu will build an additional two air separation units and expand its existing nitrogen pipeline in TSIP to serve the area. In September, Air Products announced another expansion at TSIP to supply United Microelectronics Corporations' (UMC) Phase Five to Phase Eight expansion of their new 300mm wafer fab. In addition to UHP nitrogen, Air Products San Fu will also supply oxygen, argon, helium and hydrogen to UMC.

"We have been satisfying gas demand in Tainan Science-Based Industrial Park for over 15 years," said Wayne Mitchell, vice president and general manager, Electronics, for Air Products. "This new capacity expansion is our strategic investment to support the growth of our customers with reliable and cost-effective supply."

Air Products San Fu has established a leading supply position in TSIP, and its nitrogen pipeline in the park has been serving semiconductor and TFT-LCD manufacturers in the area since 2002. Currently, the pipeline is fed by three of the world's largest UHP nitrogen facilities that also produce product for the local merchant liquid bulk market. The expansion will provide Air Products with additional nitrogen to supply growing merchant needs in the area.

Air Products' Electronics business got its start with a nitrogen pipeline serving the Silicon Valley. Today the company's pipelines snake through the leading science parks in mainland China, Taiwan and Korea, supplying next generation fabs with the high volumes of nitrogen necessary for semiconductor and TFT-LCD production.

About Air Products
Air Products (NYSE:APD) provides atmospheric, process and specialty gases; performance materials; equipment; and technology. For over 70 years, the company has enabled customers to become more productive, energy efficient and sustainable. More than 20,000 employees in over 50 countries supply innovative solutions to the energy, environment and emerging markets. These include semiconductor materials, refinery hydrogen, coal gasification, natural gas liquefaction, and advanced coatings and adhesives. In fiscal 2012, Air Products had sales approaching $10 billion. For more information, visit www.airproducts.com.

About Air Products San Fu Co. Ltd.
Air Products San Fu Co. Ltd. is a leading industrial gases supplier in Taiwan. It provides atmospheric gases, electronic specialty gases, chemical products and equipment to industries. For more information, visit www.airproducts.com.tw.

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, 2012.

SOURCE Air Products