Air Liquide Signs Long-Term Contract with BASF, Makes Its Largest Industrial Investment Ever in the U.S.HOUSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 27, 1998--Air Liquide America Corporation today announced it will invest $150 million in a new air separation and cogeneration complex in Geismar, LA, primarily because it has signed a long-term contract to supply gaseous oxygen and steam via pipeline to BASF BASF Bar Association of San Francisco (since 1872; San Francisco, California) BASF Badische Anilin und Soda Fabrik (German chemical products company) BASF Builders Association of South Florida Corporation. The new units will supply 5,200 tons per day of air separation products including gaseous oxygen and gaseous nitrogen to the company's existing pipeline network between Baton Rouge Baton Rouge (băt`ən r  zh) [Fr.,=red stick], city (1990 pop. 219,531), state capital and seat of East Baton Rouge parish, SE La. and New Orleans New Orleans (ôr`lēənz –lənz, ôrlēnz`), city (2006 pop. 187,525), coextensive with Orleans parish, SE La., between the Mississippi River and Lake Pontchartrain, 107 mi (172 km) by water from the river mouth; founded , and liquid oxygen, nitrogen and argon argon (är`gŏn) [Gr.,=inert], gaseous chemical element; symbol Ar; at. no. 18; at. wt. 39.948; m.p. −189.2°C;; b.p. −185.7°C;; density 1.784 grams per liter at STP; valence 0. for merchant distribution. Air Liquide
"As Air Liquide America's largest investment in a single plant site ever, this is a major expansion to our existing production capacity in order to supply BASF and other customers along the Mississippi River Mississippi River River, central U.S. It rises at Lake Itasca in Minnesota and flows south, meeting its major tributaries, the Missouri and the Ohio rivers, about halfway along its journey to the Gulf of Mexico. industrial corridor in Louisiana," said Patrick Verschelde, president and CEO (1) (Chief Executive Officer) The highest individual in command of an organization. Typically the president of the company, the CEO reports to the Chairman of the Board. , Air Liquide America. "This contract illustrates the winning strategy of the Air Liquide Group to enrich and expand its offer with steam, while providing greater control over our own energy costs." "Air Liquide's air separation and cogen investment further secures the competitiveness of our Geismar site and creates value for BASF, Air Liquide and our other partners," said Carl A. Jennings, president, Chemicals Division, BASF Corporation. "Our new acetylene acetylene (əsĕt`əlēn') or ethyne (ĕth`īn), HC≡CH, a colorless gas. It melts at −80.8°C; and boils at −84.0°C;. plant and the new partnership arrangements with Air Liquide and others will significantly enhance the manufacturing cost advantages of our acetylene-based butanediol process." Air Liquide Engineering expects to complete construction by late 1999. With this success, Air Liquide's Global Chemicals Team demonstrates its commitment to the chemical industry on a worldwide basis. It has developed similar integrated complexes, for example: in Bayport, Texas U.S., and Rotterdam, Netherlands. Air Liquide America is part of Air Liquide Group, which is a global industrial and medical gases specialist. Present in over 60 countries, it employs over 27,000 people. Sales in 1997 were $6.6 billion (U.S. dollars). The group supplies oxygen, nitrogen, hydrogen and many other gases for industries such as iron and steel, refining, chemicals, glass, electronics, pulp and paper, metallurgy, food, health care and space. By combining services and new technologies, Air Liquide provides innovative gas solutions that improve the industrial performance of its customers and helps them protect the environment. CONTACT: Air Liquide America, Houston Thomas A. Colyandro, 713/624-8055 |
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