In December 2009, Uhde and its subsidiary Uhde Corporation of America in Bridgeville, have signed a global hydrogen alliance agreement with the American company Praxair, which is headquartered in Tonawanda.

The arrangement effectively covers the areas of steam reformer based hydrogen plants and OFT hydrogen supply. The hydrogen produced by these plants will be used in nearby refineries which are used to manufacture low-sulphur fuels. This alliance of two industry leaders will help satisfy the global refining industry's need for increasing amounts of hydrogen for the efficient production of cleaner burning fuels.

Uhde's technological capabilities in steam reforming and hydrogen production, worldwide engineering and construction resources, combined with Praxair's global technology, engineering, construction and operations capabilities, will enable this alliance to provide customers with highly energy efficient, cost effective, reliable and safe supplies of hydrogen. As part of this alliance, Praxair and Uhde will also work together to advance the technology to address the refining industry's future needs and challenges.

Under this new alliance, Uhde's Indian subsidiary Uhde India Private Limited and Praxair's Indian subsidiary, Praxair India Private Limited, have already begun constructing a hydrogen facility which will be operated by Praxair in Paradip in the state of Orissa. This facility will utilize Uhde's state of the art steam reformer technology to supply approximately 100,000 Nm3/h of hydrogen, using LPG and naphtha as a feedstock. Praxair India will supply the produced hydrogen to Indian Oil Corporation Limited’s new 300,000 barrels-per-day refinery currently under construction.

The facility is scheduled for commissioning for the first quarter of 2012.