Press Releases
Investment of Eur 25 million will include construction of most advanced air separation technology in China
Xiamen, FUJIAN, CHINA, 19 July 2011 – Linde Greater China, a member of The Linde Group, has won a long-term gases supply deal with stainless steel maker, Fujian Fuxin Special Steel, in Zhangzhou city, Fujian province.
With this contract, Linde will invest EUR 25 million (RMB 230 million) to build an onsite gases facility for the supply of gaseous nitrogen and oxygen to Fuxin’s steel manufacturing plant. Linde will also produce liquid oxygen and liquid nitrogen products for the Xiamen market. In addition Linde will supply Fuxin will liquid argon and hydrogen from Linde’s existing gases infrastructure in Xiamen.
The new onsite facility will see the construction of Linde Engineering Division’s most advanced and modern air separator (ASU) to be built in China, with an hourly capacity of 10,000 normal cubic metres (Nm3/h) of gaseous oxygen. The ASU is expected to be onstream in the second half of 2012.
This new air separator applies the latest in air separation technology to optimize energy and production output ratio in order to supply the steelworks with a more energy-efficient flow of gases.
"This investment builds on Linde’s well established integrated gases infrastructure in Xiamen and the wider South China region, and very importantly the years of successful business partnership between Linde and Formosa,” said Steven Fang, Head of Linde Greater China. “This new on-site deal underscores our leading position in the Chinese gases market. It provides proof of concept for our focused growth strategy in the region driven by our commitment in forward-looking technologies inspired by our customer needs and the sustainable development of industries.”
Linde’s new onsite development in Zhangzhou city is about six-kilometres from Linde’s existing 27-kilometre long gases pipeline. Today, Linde owns an integrated gases infrastructure in Xiamen and Fuzhou, supplying pipeline, liquid and cylinder gases, and medical gases to customers in key manufacturing hubs in South China.
Fujian Fuxin Stainless Steel is a subsidiary of the Formosa Plastics Group. Formosa is one of Asia's largest petrochemical producers, and Fuxin is Formosa's first venture into the steel industry. Fuxin will produce approximately 720 thousand tonnes per annum of stainless steel targeted at China's rapidly developing high end manufacturing markets.
The Linde Group is a world-leading gases and engineering company with around 48,700 employees working in more than 100 countries worldwide. In the 2010 financial year, it achieved sales of EUR 12.868 bn. The strategy of The Linde Group is geared towards long-term profitable growth and focuses on the expansion of its international business with forward-looking products and services. Linde acts responsibly towards its shareholders, business partners, employees, society and the environment – in every one of its business areas, regions and locations across the globe. Linde is committed to technologies and products that unite the goals of customer value and sustainable development.
In the Greater China region, Linde has close to 4,000 employees working in around 50 subsidiaries and joint-ventures, and 150 operational plants in major industrial hubs across the region. Linde Greater China is headquartered in Shanghai.