With annual sales of $6.6 billion, Praxair, Inc. is a global, Fortune 500 company that supplies atmospheric, process and specialty gases, high-performance coatings, and related services and technologies.

Praxair's primary products are atmospheric gases -- oxygen, nitrogen, argon and rare gases (produced when air is purified, compressed, cooled, distilled and condensed), and process & specialty gases -- carbon dioxide, helium, hydrogen, semiconductor process gases, and acetylene (produced as by-products of chemical production or recovered from natural gas).

Fuel cell grade hydrogen is specifically designed to be used as a fuel in fuel cell applications. It contains extremely low levels of impurities (e.g. ammonia (NH3), carbon monoxide (CO) and sulfur compounds) that can harm the catalyst-coated membranes inside the fuel cell.  It is supplied in high-pressure cylinders and can only be used by industrial customers, like factories, laboratories, universities, and military and government installations.  Typically, industrial customers already use compressed gases as part of their daily activities. Its use requires adequate ventilation and/or monitoring systems appropriate to the size of the location, helping ensure the safety of personnel when non-air gases are present.

Praxair, as a leader in hydrogen gas technology, is building on its ten years of experience supporting the fuel cell industry. By participating in key demonstration projects, Praxair provides its customers with reliable and cost-competitive hydrogen supply necessary to move this technology forward.  Moreover, as a leading hydrogen supplier, Praxair has the capability to provide hydrogen for fuel cells in a full range of supply options, from large bulk supply to high-pressure cylinders.

United by a vision and commitment to cleaner energy, BP and Praxair were joined by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger in October 2004 to launch California's first retail-designed hydrogen fueling station at the Los Angeles International Airport.

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