The Brazilian unit of Danbury industrial-gas supplier Praxair Inc. signed a contract to supply oxygen to another of long-time customer ArcelorMittal’s steel-production plants in Brazil.
Praxair’s White Martins division agreed to build a new air separation facility capable of producing 780 tons of oxygen daily for the steel plant in João Monlevade, in southeast Brazil. The oxygen plant is scheduled to start up in early 2013.
Financial terms weren’t revealed.
Steelmakers use oxygen to improve furnace efficiency and environmental performance.
White Martins has supplied ArcelorMittal at different locations in Brazil for 20 years.
ArcelorMittal also applies Praxair’s slag splashing technology at two sites and a pulverized coal injection system developed by White Martins at another site. Both technologies increase productivity and reduce operating costs, Praxair says.
