Airgas USA, a subsidiary of Air Liquide, has announced plans to construct a new liquid carbon dioxide production facility in Stockton, CA and expand an air separation unit (ASU) in Etiwanda, CA. The two facilities will look to significantly increase the company’s merchant gas capabilities on the West Coast.
The new facility in Stockton will produce liquid carbon dioxide and support the production of dry ice for water treatment, food chilling, freezing, brewing, and winemaking. With the additional plant in Stockton, Airgas will now have similar facilities in Southern, Central and Northern California.
The expansion of the current ASU in Etiwanda will help support the supply chain throughout Southern California. The increased production of cryogenic liquid nitrogen and oxygen has applications in the healthcare, chemical, food and beverage, steel, glass, electronics, and oil and gas segments.
The Etiwanda expansion will take place within the current Airgas facility, which was initially constructed in 2011. Airgas was acquired by France-based Air Liquide in May 2016 and is the largest U.S. supplier of industrial, specialty, and medical gases.