Eric Rottier, Chairman & CEO of Taylor-Wharton, new gasworld interview in the March edition
10 Minutes with…. Eric Rottier
Thank you for taking the time to talk with us all today. What have we interrupted in your schedule?
I have been working on some upcoming travel plans and needed a break from that, so thanks!
Can you tell us more about Taylor-Wharton America and its offering?
Taylor-Wharton is owned by Air Water America Inc. in New Jersey, with its parent company Air Water Inc. located in Osaka, Japan. In addition to Taylor-Wharton, Air Water owns TOMCO2 Systems, phasetwo (a TOMCO2 Systems division focused on cryobiology), Cryogenic Vessels Alternative (CVA) – rebranded as Taylor-Wharton America, Cryofin, CO2 Air (equipment only), 49% of Dohmeyer Cryogenics, AMCS Corporation – rebranded as Air Water Gas Solutions – and Noble Gas Solutions. Taylor-Wharton traces its roots back to 1742 and is the longest continuous steel product manufacturer in the US. Taylor-Wharton is recognized for its core cryogenic equipment, but our sister subsidiaries under the Air Water umbrella really bring unique opportunities to support both gas companies and end-users. We can handle everything from molecule production to highly specialized applications.
When it comes to products, where are the biggest demands coming from?
Our liquid hydrogen product portfolio is the most popular and fastest-growing, driven primarily by the hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicle market that is rapidly developing. Our standard range of cryogenic cylinders and tanks are the mainstay in our industrial gas portfolio, supporting the independent gas distributors and gas producers. We also have a niche product in cryogenic railcars for distributing argon out of regions that have excess product.
What other trends are you noting?
By far the biggest and most interesting trend is the emergence of hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles. We are experiencing the commercialization of this technology in material handling, passenger vehicles and Class 8 trucks, with many more applications in the pipeline. California and the US as a whole are world leaders in deploying this form of clean mobility, which is being accelerated by various state and federal investment incentives geared at reducing vehicle emissions.
Can you tell us about an exciting project that you’re currently working on?
We have developed a patent-pending Mobile Hydrogen Recharger (MHR) that can directly fill 700 bar high-pressure tubes. The system is mounted on a trailer, incorporates a liquid hydrogen tank, dual pumps, vaporization, automated fill controls, and can incorporate a diesel generator, fuel cell or ground power. The MHR can fill numerous tube trailers on one route or direct-fill Class 8 trucks. It can also be deployed as a quick-start or emergency fuel station.
There’s a strong theme here: hydrogen. What activities do you have globally?
We manufacture hydrogen tanks of all sizes and configurations, trailers, Mobile Hydrogen Rechargers, and skid-mounted high-pressure fuel stations at our Baytown, Texas location. We are ramping up technology transfer and production in Europe and Malaysia.
gasworld will be in Southeast Asia later this year for our Asia-Pacific conference… do you have any hydrogen activities in this part of the world? Actually, we are manufacturing liquid hydrogen bulk tanks at our factory in Malaysia for South Korea for the fuel cell electric vehicle market. There are early-stage discussions in Japan, India, Australia, China and other countries.
What most excites you about this year?
A continued focus on the independent gas distributors and gas producers in our core cryogenic product lines where quality, customer service and lead time are paramount – plus international expansion, and more focus to safely support new end-users that are operating liquid hydrogen equipment in the fuel cell market.
Finally, what does the future hold for Taylor-Wharton America?
We continue to look for complementary acquisitions and new businesses. Air Water is committed to aggressively investing in the US and there are several initiatives underway that will be announced this year.
gasworld Issue 215 – March 2023 – Hydrogen Issue pg. 46
https://www.gasworld.com/issue/issue-215-march-2023-hydrogen-issue/2121295.article/