Linde Wins Multiple Gas Contracts
Linde has announced the signing of three new contracts, which it said had been made possible by leveraging both its and Praxair technologies. The two industrial gas giants closed their merger on Oct. 31, 2018 and now trade as Linde.
"The ability to cross-sell our combined technology and applications was key to the rationale for merging our two companies," said Anne Roby, Linde’s executive vice president, adding that it can now offer “more tools in our toolbox” to customers.
The gases group noted that it has signed more than 30 small on-site contracts during the past 12 months, including for cryogenic nitrogen, non-cryogenic oxygen and nitrogen production plants. The most recent business wins from cross-selling its combined technologies have been three agreements for vacuum pressure swing adsorption (VPSA) plants with Koa Suzhou, a Chinese manufacturer of cosmetic bottles; Schott, a German manufacturer of specialty glass and glass ceramics; and Chilean forestry company Arauco. Linde did not provide further details on the projects.
Additionally, the gases group has won a contract to provide engineering, procurement and site services based on its proprietary technology for the cracker unit at Sibur’s proposed Amur Gas Chemical Complex (AGCC). Linde will provide the services as part of a consortium with Gazprom general contractor NIPIgas.
The complex will be centered on an ethane cracker with an ethylene capacity of 1.5 million t/y, which will feed three PE units. However, Sibur said last September that it was considering extending the complex’s configuration after having secured more feedstock from Gazprom.
In separate news, Linde has also started up a new air separation unit (ASU) in Freeport, Texas, USA, as part of a long-term agreement to supply MEGlobal’s new ethylene glycol (EG) plant in Oyster Creek.
The unit will provide the oxygen and nitrogen needed for MEGlobal to manufacture EG as well as supplying Linde’s pipeline system along the Gulf Coast and adding new argon capacity.
At the same time, Linde has brought on stream in Freeport a new carbon dioxide (CO2) plant, which will recycle the crude CO2 supplied from an MEGlobal process. The crude CO2 will be purified and liquefied into commercial grades to serve customers in various industries, including food and beverage, where the gas is used to carbonate drinks, as well as to freeze, chill, preserve and package food.
Jeff Barnhard, Linde’s vice president south region, said that as well as strengthening its ability to supply customers in the region, the ASU and expanded pipeline system positions the company for future growth on the US Gulf Coast.
