Air Liquide S.A. (Paris, France) will build, own and operate, through a significant investment, a large-scale Air Separation Unit (ASU) in Naoshima Island, Japan. This plant is designed to meet the rising demand for copper, a crucial element for the energy transition, and support the production ramp-up of Mitsubishi Materials, Japan’s leading copper company. In addition to providing large volumes of oxygen with a capacity of up to 1,400 tons per day as well as nitrogen, Air Liquide’s new ASU will also produce argon and neon, helping to ensure a stable supply of those rare gases essential to Japan’s key industries such as semiconductor manufacturing, transportation equipment manufacturing and construction work.
Further strengthening its long-term partnership, Air Liquide will support Mitsubishi Materials with their plan to increase copper production to address the growing demand for the use of electric vehicles, next-generation communication technology and renewable energy.
Air Liquide will build, own and operate this ASU at the Naoshima smelter and refinery. Set to commence operations in 2027, it will rank among Air Liquide’s largest and state of the art oxygen production plants in Japan. The facility will also produce argon and neon, enhancing the capacity of these rare gases, crucial for semiconductor manufacturing and welding applications, to customers in those industries.
Neon is particularly scarce in Japan, relying primarily on imports. Acknowledging the project’s strategic importance, the Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) awarded it a financial grant. This grant recognised Air Liquide’s efforts to bolster the domestic production of Neon to serve the semiconductor manufacturing industry, in line with its semiconductor supply security plan.
Ronnie Chalmers, Air Liquide Group Vice President, supervising Asia Pacific, commented: “We are proud to continue our partnership with Mitsubishi Materials. This ASU demonstrates Air Liquide’s technological expertise and capacity to support the growth of Mitsubishi Materials while strengthening the domestic supply of neon for the semiconductor industry. We welcome the Japanese government’s support, which enables us to leverage the large-scale oxygen production to co-produce argon and neon, strategically important for Japan, and in line with our ADVANCE strategic plan.”