New investment in the Philippines

The Philippines, a newly industrialized country, experienced a record GDP growth rate of 7.3% in 2010. In recent years, its formerly agriculture-based economy has been transforming itself into a services and manufacturing-based economy. The electronics sector is one of the most important in the country.

Air Liquide, which is already the leading gas supplier to the electronics industry in the Philippines, will invest more than €22 million in the construction and operation of a new Air Separation Unit (ASU) in the Calamba Premiere Industrial Park, south of Luzon.

The new ASU, to be commissioned by year-end 2012, will produce gaseous nitrogen as well as more than 200 tonnes per day of liquid gases, mainly oxygen and nitrogen, to address increasing demand from high-tech manufacturers in the Luzon area. This unit will reinforce the availability and reliability of the Air Liquide supply chain in the country.

The new ASU will benefit customers that include Samsung Electro-Mechanics Philippines Corporation (SEMPHIL), which recently awarded Air Liquide a new long-term contract for the supply of industrial gases. SEMPHIL, an affiliate manufacturing plant of the Samsung Electro-Mechanics Corporation in South Korea, has a large manufacturing facility in the Luzon area producing passive components for its world market.

Air Liquide has been working with SEMPHIL since 2000. SEMPHIL is a manufacturer committed to supplying high quality and world class products and the new ASU will help the company gain recognition as one of the world's leading companies.

Jean-Marc de Royere, Senior Vice-President Asia Pacific and a member of the Air Liquide Executive Committee, said, “We want to thank SEMPHIL for their renewed trust in Air Liquide. We are confident in the long-term strength of the economy of the Philippines, and this latest investment will enable us to meet the various needs of our customers. High Technologies and Developing economies are two of the growth drivers of the Air Liquide group.”