New Contract with Steelmaker in South Korea
The steel industry has played a substantial role in turning South Korea into a
world leader in the electronics, automotive and other advancedmanufacturing fields.
Air Liquide has just signed a contract with Posco E&C, the Engineering and
Construction division of Posco, to design and build two very large
Air Separation Units (ASU), each of which will have an oxygen production capacity of
3,750 tonnes per day. This is the largest production capacity designed so far for
a steelmaker by Air Liquide. Oxygen is used to transform cast iron into steel.
These two new units will be installed at Posco's Gwangyang and Pohang sites
in South Korea. The oxygen they produce will enable the Gwangyang site to
support the Posco Group's increase in global steel production. The second unit will
meet growing demand for oxygen in connection with the construction of a second
steel plant (with a production capacity of 2 million tons per year) on the Pohang site.
Posco is the largest integrated steel producer in the country and one of the most
important in the world. Founded in 1968 and privatized in 2000, Posco has led the
Korean steel industry for more than four decades. In 2010, Posco produced
33.7 million tons of crude steel.
Air Liquide has been working with Posco for more than 25 years, and has
already supplied it with 17 ASUs on these two sites in South Korea. The Group was
one of the steelmaker's designated "Best Suppliers" of 2010.
François Darchis, Senior Vice-President in charge of Engineering and Construction,
Research and Technology and a member or Air Liquide's Executive Committee,
declared: "We are proud to have been able to contribute to Posco's
development for more than 25 years. Air Liquide's strong historical
relationship with Posco and mutual trust are major factors supporting our
fruitful collaboration today. A true understanding of our customers' needs and
constraints lies at the heart of Air Liquide's strategy of offering customerfocused
cutting-edge technology solutions."
Air Liquide is the world leader in gases for industry, health and the environment, and is present in
80 countries with 43,600 employees. Oxygen, nitrogen, hydrogen and rare gases have been at the core of
Air Liquide's activities since its creation in 1902. Using thesemolecules, Air Liquide continuously reinvents its
business, anticipating the needs of current and future markets. The Group innovates to enable progress, to
achieve dynamic growth and a consistent performance.
