Praxair Starts up New Air Separation Plant in India

BANGALORE, India--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Praxair India Private Limited, a subsidiary of Praxair, Inc. (NYSE: PX), India’s leading industrial gases supplier, announced the start-up of its third production facility to supply Usha Martin Limited, India’s leading wire and wire rope manufacturer. The plant will supply gaseous oxygen and nitrogen to support Usha Martin’s expansion.

“Usha Martin is a leading specialty steel manufacturer in India and we are proud to have been chosen to be part of their expansion”

The new plant utilizes Praxair’s energy-efficient technology and has a production capacity of approximately 130 tons per day of gaseous oxygen and 65 tons per day of gaseous nitrogen. Praxair India has supported Usha Martin’s Jamshedpur steel mill since 2000, where the company has been operating two oxygen plants with a capacity of 220 tons per day of oxygen.

“Praxair has been serving the global iron and steel industry for over 70 years,” said Mr. Asit Gangopadhyay, managing director of Praxair India. “Usha Martin is a leading specialty steel manufacturer in India and we are proud to have been chosen to be part of their expansion,” added Mr. Gangopadhyay.

“To support our expansion plans, we need technically strong and reliable suppliers,” said Dr. Vijay Sharma, joint managing director, Usha Martin Limited. “We have been highly satisfied with Praxair’s services over the years and are confident that their global expertise in industrial gases will help us meet the growing demand for our products.”

“We value Praxair’s energy-efficient air separation plant design and execution capabilities, as well as their commitment to safety and operational efficiency,” said Mr. Rajeev Jhawar, vice chairman and managing director, Usha Martin Limited. “We believe this will support us in achieving our long-term operational goals.”

About Praxair India

Praxair India, a wholly owned subsidiary of Praxair Inc., started operations in 1996 and is headquartered in Bangalore. Praxair has invested over Rs.2,500 Crores (US$565 million) in India to meet the country’s growing industry requirements and has evolved into India’s largest industrial and medical gases supplier serving varied industry segments including steel, refineries, petrochemicals, glass, automobile, shipbuilding and healthcare. Praxair India has 35 locations across the country employing more than 600 people.

About Praxair

Praxair, Inc. is the largest industrial gases company in North and South America, and one of the largest worldwide, with 2011 sales of $11 billion. The company produces, sells and distributes atmospheric, process and specialty gases, and high-performance surface coatings. Praxair products, services and technologies are making our planet more productive by bringing efficiency and environmental benefits to a wide variety of industries, including aerospace, chemicals, food and beverage, electronics, energy, healthcare, manufacturing, metals and others. More information on Praxair is available on the Internet at www.praxair.com.