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Air Products builds new ASU in Ghent
6th May 2003 — Air Products has won a contract
to build and operate a new air separation unit (ASU) for
steel producer Sidmar (part of the Arcelor Group).
The ASU will be built at Air Products' Ghent site, Belgium,
which is adjacent to Sidmar's steel production complex.
It will have the capacity to produce 1800 tons of oxygen,
nitrogen and argon per day when it comes on stream in April
2004.
Sidmar's plant at Ghent is a fully integrated steelworks,
which mainly produces strip products for the automotive
industry. The plant has a production capacity of approximately
6 million tonnes per year.
The new ASU will satisfy Sidmar's increasing demand for
oxygen as their current supply is at full capacity. The
company is improving its operations to align the throughput
of the warm end of the integrated steelworks with the downstream
larger casting and rolling capacity. Air Products already
supplies oxygen and nitrogen to Sidmar by pipeline from
its existing production facility at Ghent.
"The depth of understanding we've developed working
with Sidmar for many years enabled us to work closely together
on the ASU design and customise the unit to meet their precise
needs on reliability, flexibility and cost effectiveness,"
explained Denis Deheusch, Air Products' Focussed Account
Manager for Arcelor.
Ghent is also the home of Air Products bulk distribution
operation for Belgium, and its bulk distribution scheduling
for the Netherlands, Germany and France. In Belgium, the
company also operates in Vilvoorde (helium filling and distribution),
Keumiee (speciality gases production and distribution) and
Brussels (Country HQ).
Air Products (NYSE:APD) serves customers in technology,
energy, healthcare and industrial markets worldwide with
a unique portfolio of products, services and solutions,
providing atmospheric gases, process and specialty gases,
performance materials and chemical intermediates. The company
is the largest global supplier of electronic materials,
hydrogen, helium and select performance chemicals.
Founded in 1940, Air Products is recognized for its innovative
culture, operational excellence and commitment to safety
and the environment. With annual revenues of $5.4 billion
and operations in 30 countries, the company's 17,200 employees
build lasting relationships with their customers and communities
based on understanding, integrity and passion. For more
information, visit www.airproducts.com
Sidmar is an integrated steel works, located on the west
bank of the Ghent-Terneuzen canal in Belgium. The company
forms part of the flat carbon steel sector of Arcelor, the
world's largest steel producer, employing 110,000 people.
Sidmar's products are predominantly used in the automotive
industry and other sectors requiring high quality products,
including: white products; furniture and metallic shelving;
radiator, drum and pipe manufacturing; and construction
industries.
For more information, please contact:
George Noon, Corporate Communications, Tel: 01932 249273
or e-mail: contact
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