Air Liquide to build air separation unit for China steel firm

LONDON (ICIS)–Air Liquide will construct the world’s largest air separation unit (ASU) for the steel industry in a €100m investment in Zhangjiagang City, China, the industrial gases producer announced on Friday.

The French major will construct the new unit with 3,800 tonnes/day capacity of oxygen, as part of a new 20-year contract it signed with Jiangsu Shagang Group, China’s largest steel firm.

This will be the third ASU Air Liquide operates at the site, which will have total oxygen capacity of 8,000 tonnes/day when the new unit becomes operational, scheduled for 2023.

The unit will also serve as a new source of krypton and xenon for the electronics industry. It will be Air Liquide’s largest liquid oxygen and nitrogen site in China, catering to liquid and packaged gases demand, including hospitals in east China.

The ASU will contribute to a lower carbon footprint for the flagship site by replacing existing assets installed on the customer site and employing an incremental proportion of low-carbon energy.

Air Liquide will install technology which allows for up to 60Mw/day in energy to be stored, enabling flexibility in the grid and contributing to a higher reliability of gas supply.

The long-term partnership was formed in 2007 and is line with Air Liquide’s target to become carbon neutral by 2050.