(Reuters) -U.S. manufacturer Chart Industries Inc said on Wednesday it would buy UK-based industrial equipment maker Howden for $4.4 billion, in a bet on growing demand for clean energy technology. Chart makes engineering equipment used in liquefied natural gas, hydrogen, biogas and carbon dioxide capture industries, while Scotland-based Howden manufactures fans, steam turbines and other air and gas handling equipment. Through a combination, the companies plan to increase scale and drive growth in areas that deal with decarbonization of industries, as countries and companies scramble to curb e…