Air Liquide: Record number of plant start-ups in the last two months

Over the course of December and January, Air Liquide completed the commercial start-up of 8 large-scale units around the world, concretizing a string of commercial successes in growth markets.

In particular, Air Liquide has started up four large-scale Air Separation Units (ASUs) in China. These units will supply customers in the fields of energy and chemicals under the terms of long-term contracts and are located in the provinces of Shanxi, Guangdong, Shaanxi and Jiangsu, where Air Liquide has also started up a syngas purification unit.

With the start-up of these four ASUs, whose combined capacity is 10,000 tons per day, the Group increases its oxygen-producing capacity in China by close to 50%.

In addition to these start-ups in China, four other large-scale units have been commissioned around the world, serving customers in the fields of gas and oil exploration, iron and steel, as well as petrochemicals, in Mexico, South Africa, Taiwan and Canada.

All of these recently commissioned units are the result of growth investments the Group has made since 2010, totaling around 400 million euros. They will ramp-up during the course of 2014 and 2015.

François Jackow, Group Vice President, Corporate Strategy, member of the Air Liquide Executive Committee supervising the Group’s Large Industries World business line, commented: “These start-ups strengthen our leadership position in growth markets, particularly in China. They reflect our strategy of targeted investments and attest to the diversity and dynamism of our customers in growing market segments. The technologies, as well as the Group’s operational know-how, enable Air Liquide to offer its customers high value added solutions that contribute to their competitiveness.”