Praxair to supply industrial gases for steel mill in Brazil

Praxair Inc has signed a long-term contract to supply industrial gases to a new steel mill being built near the Port of Pecem in an international free trade zone in the state of Ceara, located in the northeast region of Brazil. The mill will be operated by Companhia Siderurgica do Pecem (CSP), a joint venture between Brazilian Vale and South Korean Dongkuk Steel and Posco Steel.
 
Praxair will build, own and operate a 2,400 tonnes per day cryogenic plant that will produce gaseous and liquid oxygen, nitrogen and argon. The plant will enable CSP to produce an expected 3 million tonnes of steel slabs annually, which will largely be exported for further processing by CSP’s Korean partners. The plant is expected to start up in 2016. 
 
“We are proud to have been chosen to play such a significant role in this project. Our state-of-the-art plant and world-class Praxair team will provide CSP with the gases it needs to deliver a steady supply of high-quality steel products,” said Domingos Bulus, President of Praxair South America.
 
According to CSP, “Praxair’s regional capabilities as a reliable on-site source of high-quality oxygen were critical to its selection for this phase that involves an annual production of 3 million tonnes of slabs. The confidence in this choice enables CSP to continue to develop the first integrated steel mill in north eastern Brazil with a strong base.”
 
The new plant will also serve merchant and packaged gas customers in a variety of sectors across the northern and north eastern regions of Brazil, including food and beverage, metal fabrication, healthcare and automotive.