Air Liquide SA

Air Liquide unveiled a new strategic plan through 2030 on Monday, targeting annual growth in recurring net earnings per share of about 10% and launching its first-ever share buyback program, worth €4 billion over 2027-2028. The plan, named BEYOND, aims for compound annual growth of 10%, plus or minus 2 percentage points, in recurring net EPS from the end of 2025 to the end of 2030, along with recurring return on capital employed above 11% in 2030. The French industrial gases group expects sales to grow at a compound annual rate of 5%, plus or minus 1 point, outpacing industrial production by a factor of two to three, and targets a cumulative operating margin improvement of 400 to 600 basis points over 2026-2030. Capital allocation of more than €40 billion over the period will cover investments, acquisitions, dividends and buybacks, with more than half going toward industrial investments and acquisitions and about €24 billion in industrial investment decisions planned. Air Liquide named four priority markets — electronics and artificial intelligence, energy transition, healthcare and space — and said it expects electronics sales to grow at a weighted average annual rate above 10% over 2026-2030. CEO François Jackow said the group's profitability now allows it to go beyond reinvestment, including through the buyback and annual employee share purchase plans, and the company reaffirmed a 33% cut in Scope 1 and 2 carbon dioxide emissions by 2035 from 2020 levels and carbon neutrality by 2050.

For the first time in Europe, Germany is bringing together the full ecosystem needed to scale hydrogen truck deployment by 2030, as Volvo Group, Daimler Truck, Toyota Motor Corporation, Bosch, Air Liquide, TotalEnergies, TEAL Mobility, and MB Energy join forces with German policymakers to commercialize hydrogen-powered mobility. The collaboration will deploy hydrogen refueling stations along key strategic corridors in Europe, synchronized with hydrogen-powered truck fleets and a competitive hydrogen price, enabling customers to achieve a competitive total cost of ownership. Full details will be unveiled at a CEO-led press event during IAA Transportation in Hanover on September 15.

The global gas separation membranes market is projected to grow from $1.5 billion in 2025 to $2.5 billion by 2031, a compound annual growth rate of 9.1%, according to a new report from BCC Research. The expansion is driven by surging demand for green hydrogen production and carbon capture technologies, with the carbon capture application segment growing at a 40% CAGR. Asia-Pacific holds a 43.5% market share, led by industrial growth in China and India and aggressive clean energy mandates. Key players include Air Products and Chemicals Inc., Air Liquide, Honeywell International Inc., SLB, and Membrane Technology and Research Inc.

Air Liquide announced plans to invest more than $200 million to boost chemical production at partner Oxea's site in Bay City, Texas. The French industrial gases company will build a new partial-oxidation unit to provide large-scale syngas and low-carbon hydrogen production, with startup scheduled for early 2029. The investment leverages Air Liquide's longstanding presence at one of the most feedstock-advantaged sites on the U.S. Gulf Coast.

The global hydrogen generation market is projected to grow from US$ 208.96 billion in 2025 to US$ 427.07 billion by 2034, at a compound annual growth rate of 8.27 percent, according to a new report by The Insight Partners. Asia Pacific is expected to hold more than 35 percent of the market share in 2025, led by China, Japan, South Korea, Australia, and India, while Europe accounts for over 25 percent. Steam reforming remains the dominant production process, and ammonia production is the largest and fastest-growing application segment. Key drivers include government policies such as the US Inflation Reduction Act and the EU Hydrogen Strategy, industrial decarbonization targets, and rising investments in electrolyzer and hydrogen infrastructure. Major companies profiled include Linde PLC, Air Liquide, Shell Plc, and Plug Power.