Two additional air separation plants will supply Tata Steel’s expanding steel production in Kalinganagar, India. The facilities double Linde’s on-site production capacity at the steel complex, according to a statement from the industrial gases company.
The expansion forms part of a long-term supply agreement between Linde and Tata Steel. The two plants, which Linde has acquired and commissioned, supply oxygen, nitrogen and argon for iron and steel production at the complex in the state of Odisha.
The additional gas supply will support Tata Steel’s increase in annual steel production at Kalinganagar from three million to eight million tonnes.
Separating gases from air
Air separation plants divide air into its constituent gases. In steelmaking, oxygen is used in production processes, while nitrogen and argon can protect materials and molten metal from unwanted chemical reactions.
The additional plants bring Linde’s total capacity in the Kalinganagar region to more than 7,000 tonnes of oxygen per day. This figure covers the company’s regional capacity rather than deliveries to Tata Steel alone.
Supplying other regional customers
According to Linde, the additional capacity will also help meet growing demand for industrial gases from other customers in the region.
– This expansion with Tata Steel underlines the strength of our longstanding partnership and demonstrates the critical role of industrial gases in steelmaking, said Moloy Banerjee, Linde’s president for ASEAN and South Asia, in the statement.
He added that the project strengthens the company’s supply network in an important industrial region and creates opportunities for further growth in India.
Source: Linde.
