Praxair, Inc. has signed an agreement to supply oxygen, nitrogen and argon to ThyssenKrupp’s new state-of-the-art carbon and stainless steel processing facilities that are currently under construction in Mobile, Ala.
As part of the supply agreement, Praxair will build a 400-tons-per-day on-site air separation plant. In addition to providing oxygen, nitrogen and argon for ThyssenKrupp’s operational needs, the new plant will also generate liquefied industrial gas for the growing merchant customer base in the region.
ThyssenKrupp Steel USA’s and ThyssenKrupp Stainless USA’s new $4.2 billion manufacturing and processing facilities, which are currently under construction, are part of the company’s NAFTA strategy and an integral part of ThyssenKrupp’s overall global market strategy.
The new facilities will include a hot strip mill that will be used primarily to process slabs from ThyssenKrupp Steel’s new mill in Brazil. It will also feature cold rolling and hot-dip coating capacity for the production of high-quality end products. The facility will have an annual capacity of 4.1 million tonnes of carbon steel end products. In addition, ThyssenKrupp Stainless is building a cold rolling mill and a steel meltshop with an annual capacity of up to one million tonnes of slabs in the first phase.
“ThyssenKrupp's investment in new steel capacity in the southeastern United States is a critical step in the execution of their North American strategy, and Praxair will be providing a cost-effective and energy-efficient plant to support the project,” said Ted Trumpp, Vice President, East Region, for Praxair's North American Industrial Gases organization. “This new plant will also strengthen Praxair's already-strong presence in the lower Alabama and Gulf States region,” Trumpp added.
With sales of 51.7 billion euros and 191,350 employees in over 70 countries, ThyssenKrupp is one of the world's major technology groups and occupies excellent positions on the international markets. The three main business areas of steel, capital goods and services are organized in five segments: Steel, Stainless, Technologies, Elevator and Services.
Praxair is the largest industrial gases company in North and South America, and one of the largest worldwide, with 2007 sales of $9.4 billion. The company produces, sells and distributes atmospheric, process and specialty gases, and high-performance surface coatings. Praxair is a recognized leader in the commercialization of new technologies that bring productivity and environmental benefits to a diverse group of industries, including aerospace, chemicals, electronics, energy, food and beverage, healthcare, manufacturing, metals and others.