Polargas, a 100% Air Liquide subsidiary in Finland, has signed a new 15-year agreement for the supply of oxygen, nitrogen and argon to the number one Finnish carbon steel producer Ruukki (Rautaruukki Corporation), in Raahe.
The agreement prolongs the output of the four existing air separation units (ASUs) and also provides for the installation of a new ASU with a capacity of 860 tonnes per day of oxygen. The overall investment amounts to €30 million and will be Air Liquide’s most important investment in Finland. The new ASU, to be designed and manufactured by Air Liquide engineering division, will start operation in third quarter 2007 to fulfill the increasing oxygen demand of Ruukki’s steel plant in Raahe.
Klaus Schmieder, member of the management board of Air Liquide, said: “This new agreement demonstrates the excellent partnership between Ruukki and Polargas, which started with the first ASU investment of Polargas in Raahe in 1988.
“We are pleased to help our customers to improve the efficiency of their processes while contributing to sustainable development, which is the heart of our strategy. This investment reinforces our positions in northern countries and is a clear statement of our commitment for further developments in the Finnish market.”
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