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Air Liquide Expands Partnership with Severstal
Aug. 2, 2010 The Air Liquide Group has signed a new contract with Severstal for outsourcing of industrial gases in Cherepovets. This follows the successful start-up in 2007 of the largest Air Separation Unit in Russia at Severstal’s integrated steel mill in Cherepovets.
Production capacity of the new state-of-the-art Air Separation Unit, which is scheduled to start-up at the end of 2012, will reach 2000 tonnes per day of gaseous oxygen. It will also produce nitrogen, argon, and rare gases.
The new unit, designed by Air Liquide, will be built and operated by Air Liquide Severstal (ALS), the joint venture created in 2005 in which Air Liquide holds 75% and Severstal 25%.
The global investments will amount to €50 million.
Anatoly Kruchinin, a member of the JSC Severstal Administration Board and Managing Director of the Cherepovets steelwork company Severstal, said: “The new project will allow us to implement sequentially converter steel production development program. ALS applies the latest technologies for gas production, paying close attention to the environment and industrial safety. That makes this project even more significant.”
OAO Severstal is an international metals and mining company, with a listing on the Russian Trading System, Moscow Interbank Currency Exchange, and the London Stock Exchange. Incorporated in 1993, the company focuses on high value added and unique niche products. In 2009, Severstal produced 16.7 million tonnes of steel and revenues were $13.05 billion.
Air Liquide is a world leader in gases for industry, health, and the environment. The company is present in more than 75 countries with 42,300 employees. Oxygen, nitrogen, hydrogen, and rare gases have been at the core of Air Liquide’s activities since its creation in 1902. In 2009, the Group’s revenues amounted to €12 billion, of which almost 80% were generated outside France.