Air Liquide to build US$160 mn blue hydrogen facility for chips in US

Industrial gases giant Air Liquide has announced a new investment of over US$160 million to build, own and operate a new large-scale production facility in Arizona to supply essential ultra-high purity gases to the latest fab expansion of a global leader in advanced semiconductor nodes.

Set to begin operations in 2028, Air Liquide’s facility will deliver, among other gases, in particular ultra-pure, low-carbon hydrogen with carbon capture technology. Essential for semiconductor manufacturing, hydrogen is primarily used in wafer manufacturing, annealing, and removing surface oxides during the most sensitive chip manufacturing processes.

To provide the extreme precision and reliability needed to manufacture the most advanced chips driving tomorrow’s AI infrastructure and high-performance computing, Air Liquide will operate its hydrogen production and carbon capture units directly on-site, at the customer’s fab. The group will also leverage its existing local infrastructure to maximise operational efficiency.

Furthermore, the CO2 captured on-site will be liquefied and purified to supply the customer’s high-purity gas needs. This will contribute to reducing the carbon footprint of the hydrogen used in the chip manufacturing process, it adds.

Matthieu Giard, Group Executive Committee member, notably supervising operations in the Americas, stated: “This new investment underscores advanced chip manufacturers’ confidence in Air Liquide’s capacity to ensure reliable, cost-effective supply of critical ultra-pure gases required to power the AI revolution domestically, sustainably and with uncompromising quality. As semiconductor manufacturers are increasingly reshoring their activities in the US, we successfully support their growth ambitions thanks to our leading, unique and comprehensive expertise in the electronics sector.”