Further investment of around €40 million in Brazil

Air Liquide will invest around €40 million in a new Air Separation Unit (ASU) that will supply Klabin, Brazil’s biggest paper manufacturer, with oxygen.

Under the terms of this agreement, Air Liquide will invest around €40 million in a new ASU that will supply more than 160 tonnes of oxygen per day to Klabin’s new factory located in Ortigueira, as well as to Klabin’s other site in Telêmaco Borba, both located in the state of Paraná. The oxygen produced by Air Liquide’s ASU will be used to process and whiten pulp in a more efficient and environmentally friendly manner.

This unit will be designed and built by Air Liquide Engineering and Construction teams, using state-of-the-art technologies that offer energy efficiency as well as optimal performance and safety.

In Brazil’s South Region, Air Liquide already serves approximately 3,000 customers through 12 production units. However, this will be Air Liquide’s first ASU in the state of Paraná. This new ASU will also allow Air Liquide to provide oxygen, nitrogen and argon to customers in the industrial and healthcare sectors in the regions of Paraná, Santa Catarina, Rio Grande do Sul and Mato Grosso do Sul. This investment will increase Air Liquide’s competitiveness locally, which will help to expand its presence in the region.

Augustin de Roubin, Vice-President, South America and a member of Air Liquide’s Executive Committee commented: “We would like to thank Klabin for its trust. We are very proud to serve the growing needs of major Brazilian companies like Klabin and to help drive sustained economic growth in this rapidly developing region of the world. This new investment will strengthen our presence in the South Region. In the past three years, we invested more than €250 million in Brazil and we plan to continue our expansion in this country.”