OREANDA-NEWS. June 20, 2011. Metinvest, a group of vertically integrated metals and mining companies signed a new long-term contract with Air Liquide, the world leader in gases for industry, health and environment.

Air Liquide will supply oxygen, nitrogen and argon for Yenakiievo I&SW of Metinvest, Donetsk Region. Total volume of Air Liquide investments in construction of the air separation unit will comprise EUR100 mln., and financing will be provided jointly with EBRD (European Bank for Reconstruction and Development).

The unit will be designed, build and managed by Air Liquide according to the highest international safety requirements using modern materials. Design capacity of the unit will comprise 1,700 tonnes of oxygen, nitrogen and argon per day. The commissioning is planned mid-2014. Air Liquide will also supply liquid gases to other industries in Ukraine.

Guillaume Salzgeber, Vice President North and Central Europe and a member of the Air Liquide Executive Committee, commented: “We are greatly honored that Metinvest has chosen Air Liquide as its long term partner for this first outsourcing of their industrial gases. In addition to the investment of the new Air Separation Unit for Metinvest, Air Liquide plans to build up in Ukraine high level technical and operating expertise to support its long term development in this important market for industrial gases. This success in Ukraine illustrates our increasing development in this zone of Europe. Developing economies are one of the growth drivers of the Group”.

Igor Syry, CEO of Metinvest, emphasized: "This project is one of the important steps in the implementation of the strategic development of Metinvest. In selecting Air Liquide as our partner, the world leader in the industrial gas market, we will benefit from their state of the art technologies and operational standards in environmental and safety performance. Metinvest will provide all the necessary assistance to help our partner grow and establish a sustainable business here in Ukraine. It is my belief that the success of this project will serve as a good example in the industrial development of Ukraine”.