Air Liquide (Paris, France; www.airliquide.com) and ArcelorMittal S.A. (Luxembourg City; www.arcelormittal.com), the world’s largest steel producer, have recently signed two longterm renewal contracts for the supply of oxygen, nitrogen and argon to ArcelorMittal’s production sites in the industrial port areas of Fos-sur-Mer and Dunkirk in France. Air Liquide also strengthens its position in Belgium in Ghent, by signing a new long-term supply contract with ArcelorMittal in order to support the growth of its industrial gas needs. In the frame of this new contract, Air Liquide will extend its pipeline network in Benelux.
Oxygen, nitrogen and argon are needed for many applications in the steel industry, ranging from the air enrichment of blast furnaces to oxygen-based steel production processes. Argon in particular is used in the production of high quality steel. The use of these gases makes it possible to improve the efficiency and the energy performance of steelworks, while reducing atmospheric emissions.
The ArcelorMittal facilities in Fos-sur-Mer, Dunkirk and Ghent manufacture high value added steel for the automotive, construction and packaging industries as well as other industrial applications. Air Liquide already supplies Dunkirk and Fos-sur-Mer facilities from its existing pipeline network in Benelux and France. Thanks to the new contract just signed, the plant in Ghent will be also connected to the Air Liquide Benelux pipeline network.
Air Liquide pipeline networks are connected to several air separation units (ASUs) ensuring reliability, performance and supply flexibility needed for ArcelorMittal. In total Air Liquide currently operates a pipeline network stretching 4,700 kilometers in Europe, the world’s most extensive network.
Guy Salzgeber, Senior Vice-President and member of the Air Liquide group’s Executive Committee supervising Europe Industries, said: “We are delighted to be reinforcing our relationship with ArcelorMittal, a strategic customer for the Group. Air Liquide demonstrates its ability to continue capitalizing on existing high performance assets -in particular its European pipeline- and to develop them. This new step illustrates Air Liquide’s ability to support the shift in the European steel industry to high value added steel. Our longstanding collaboration with ArcelorMittal will also help us reinforce our presence in several major industrial basins in France and Belgium.”