Air Liquide invests 130 million euros in the construction of an industrial gases plant in Kuzbass

The French company Air Liquide has begun construction of a plant for the production of industrial gases in Novokuznetsk and is investing about 130 million euros in this project.

The largest Siberian steel producer EVRAZ ZSMK will become the main consumer of gases , Bruno Ponson, CEO of Air Liquide in Russia, told reporters.

“We will supply oxygen, nitrogen and argon to EVRAZ, we will do this with absolute respect for the environment. The plant that we will build will be very modern, high-tech, it is important for us to bring these technologies to Kuzbass, — he said.

The start of production is scheduled for 2021, the total productivity of the enterprise will be 3 thousand tons of oxygen per day. The foundation stone of the future plant was laid on Friday by Bruno Ponson, General Director of Air Liquide in Russia, Vice President of EVRAZ, Head of the Siberia Division; Alexei Soldatenkov and Governor of Kuzbass Sergei Tsivilev. The new production will be located on the territory of the EVRAZ ZSMK plant, metallurgists have allocated a plot of more than 2 hectares for its construction.

The new oxygen production will partially replace the gas production complex operating at the plant, whose service today is about 50 years. According to Aleksey Soldatenkov, it will cover the company's needs for oxygen by 70% and for argon — by 100% and increase the overall energy efficiency of the smelter.

“Our units are gradually reaching their limits. Modern installations will be 30% more energy efficient than the previous equipment, respectively, this will increase the efficiency of our production and the competitiveness of the plant as a whole, — Soldatenkov noted.

Source: energybase.ru