China: extended contract to Dongbei Special Steel in Dalian

Air Liquide will invest in China another €25 million in a new Air Separation Unit (ASU) for Dongbei Special Steel Group in Dalian, Liaoning Province. The new ASU will have a production capacity of about 800 tonnes of oxygen per day, to supply oxygen and nitrogen to Dongbei Special Steel Group. It extends the cooperation between the two companies, after a first long-term gas supply contract was signed in 2007. The commissioning of the new unit is scheduled to the 3 rd quarter of 2011.

Plant operation teams will be from Air Liquide China, while the ASU will be designed and manufactured by Air Liquide Hangzhou, Air Liquide's Engineering centre in China. The combination will give Dongbei Special Steel the best performance in terms of safety, reliability and energy efficiency.

Founded in 1905, the Dongbei Special Steel Group is now a leader in China for special steels, with a total capacity of 3.3 million tons.

Mr. Zhao Mingyuan, President of Dongbei Special Steel Group, said, "Dongbei Special Steel is happy to expand its long-term partnership with Air Liquide, which enables us to benefit from its worldwide expertise and secure competitive industrial gases, which are high quality and reliable.”

Jean-Marc de Royere, Senior Vice-President Asia-Pacific and a member of the Air Liquide Executive Committee, said, "We want to thank Dongbei Special Steel Group for its renewed trust. This contract attests to our long-term relationship and our ability to support them in their development. Emerging economies are a growth driver of Air Liquide.”