JSW selects Praxair for its gas requirement

Mumbai, Sep 24 (UNI) JSW Steel, the flagship company of the JSW Group, has selected Praxair India, the largest industrial gas producer In India, to meet its industrial gas requirements for the expansion of its steel plant in Vijaynagar from 6.8 million tonnes to 10 million tonnes per year by 2010.

The expansion is consistent with JSW's vision to grow its total steel-making capacity to 30 million tonnes per year, JSW said in a release issued here today.

As a part of this agreement, Praxair will build a state-of-the art, 1,800-tonnes-per-day air-separation plant. The plant will be equipped with advanced process controls and energy-efficient process cycles. Praxair will also install significant storage capacity for liquid oxygen, liquid nitrogen and liquid argon, primarily to meet JSW's back-up requirements and in order to supply merchant liquids to the fast growing region of southern India.

''JSW is happy to select Praxair as its partner for meeting part of its industrial gases requirement for its expansion plans,'' said Mr.

Sheshagiri Rao, Director 'Finance, JSW.

''We are proud to have been selected by JSW for their new requirements and are committed to globally growing with and providing value to JSW,'' said Mr. John Panikar, Managing Director, Praxair India Pvt Ltd.

Jindal Praxair Oxygen Company Limited (JPOCL) currently supplies JSW's highly efficient Corex process. JPOCL is a joint venture between JSW Steel and Praxair, which operates two of the largest air separation plants in India with a combined oxygen capacity of 5,000 tonnes per day.

UNI