Air Products has signed a long-term contract with Ann Joo Steel Berhard to supply on-site gaseous oxygen, nitrogen and argon to Ann Joo Steel’s mill at Prai in northwest Malaysia. Air Products will build, own and operate an on-site air separation unit (ASU) to supply Ann Joo Steel. Scheduled to come on-stream in mid-2009, the ASU will have a total production capacity of more than 800 tons per day, including liquefied industrial gases for supply to the fast-growing market in Malaysia.
The oxygen, nitrogen and argon from Air Products’ ASU will be used in Ann Joo Steel’s capacity-expanded EAF operations and to meet its new blast-furnace requirements. Ann Joo Steel, which was the first integrated steel mill in Southeast Asia, has a total annual steelmaking capacity of 750,000 metric tons and total annual rolling capacity of 600,000 metric tons.