Air Liquide announced a new investment in northern Mexico to build an air separation unit (ASU) and a steam methane reformer (SMR) in Pesquería, Nuevo León. The announcement comes as Air Liquide enters into a long-term contract to supply nitrogen and hydrogen to steel manufacturers Ternium and Tenigal. Under the agreement, Air Liquide will build and operate the new ASU and SMR on the grounds of Ternium’s new facility in Pesquería, which will include a cold-rolling mill and a galvanizing plant. The ASU will produce approximately 350 metric tons per day of oxygen and nitrogen in both gaseous and liquid form. Both units are slated to start up around mid–2013 when the Ternium and Tenigal facilities are scheduled to begin commercial production. The overall investment will be around $35 million.