Air Products to Build New Air Separation Unit in Gent, Belgium

08-26-2010: Air Products announced that it has signed a long-term contract to supply oxygen, nitrogen and argon to ArcelorMittal Belgium N.V., a subsidiary of ArcelorMittal S.A., at its steel mill in Gent, Belgium.

As part of the agreement, Air Products will build, own, operate and maintain a third on-site air separation unit (ASU) at the Gent site to supply ArcelorMittal with its industrial gases requirements. Scheduled to come onstream in 2012, the ASU will have a total production capacity of approximately 2,000 tons per day (TPD), bringing extra liquefied industrial gases capacity for supply to the European market.

“This investment is based on the need of industrial gases first of all to replace the capacity of ASU1, which will be closed in Terneuzen, and gives ArcelorMittal Gent increased flexibility - volume, focusing on iron ore or scrap route - and the possibility to grow. The two existing Air Products air separation units at the Gent site will continue supplying ArcelorMittal with their current oxygen, nitrogen and argon requirements at their existing operations,” said Marc Vereecke, CEO at ArcelorMittal Gent.