The Linde Group announces plans to construct a large air-separation plant for ArcelorMittal, the world’s largest steel corporation, at Temirtau in Kazakhstan.
The development will constitute Kazakhstan’s first industrial-scale development. It is set to go on-stream during 2012 and will offer a daily capacity of 2,000 tonnes (tpd).
Dr Aldo Belloni, Member of the Executive Board of Linde AG, commented, “This investment gives us a successful foothold in Kazakhstan’s emerging economy. Kazakhstan is a country that has around 40 billion barrels of proven oil reserves.”
The plant has a projected investment value of approximately EUR 95m. It will become the first works engineered and operated for a Kazakhstan customer by Linde, while it will partially replace existing air-separators operated by ArcelorMittal.
Dr Belloni confirmed, “We are particularly pleased to partner with such a long-standing, well established customer as ArcelorMittal in the move to further expand our reach in Eastern Europe and Central Asia. At several locations in Germany and Eastern Europe, we already supply ArcelorMittal with various gases.”
As part of the venture, Linde signed a long-term contract with JSC ArcelorMittal Temirtau to supply the regions’ steelworks with oxygen and nitrogen gas. In addition, the new plant will supply liquefied oxygen, nitrogen and argon to the Kazakhstan merchant market.
Similarly, it will supply customers specialized in oil and gas in western Kazakhstan. Linde’s Engineering Division is responsible for constructing the plant, once opened it will be operated by the local Linde Gas company.
The ArcelorMittal Temirtau steelworks in north-eastern Kazakhstan manages an annual capacity of around four million tonnes. The majority of products produced are hot rolled coils, cold rolled coils, galvanized and pre-painted coils. A recently commissioned bar and light section mill has added to the capacity.
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