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Linde Group's Gases Division member Linde Bangladesh has started construction of its new air separation unit (ASU) in Rupganj.

Scheduled to be complete next year, the new BDT1.2bn (€14.6m) Rupganj plant will produce around 100t per day of liquefied gases, making it the largest liquid producing ASU in Bangladesh.

The company will design, built and manage the Rupganj plant, which will feature modern energy efficient technology.

The new plant will provide liquefied gases supply and related solutions to the growing healthcare, food and beverage, fabrication, pharmaceutical, shipbuilding and ship recycling industries in the country.

Federal Republic of Germany to Bangladesh Ambassador Dr Thomas Prinz said: "By investing in this country, Linde demonstrates that it has faith in Bangladesh and its market. By providing the necessary support to Linde, the authorities in Bangladesh show that investing in Bangladesh does pay off and that foreign direct investments are really welcomed.

Thus, I hope that this venture serves as a successful example of such investments. which in turn can help to attract other multi-national companies to follow suit.

It is expected that the new Rupganj plant will more than double Linde Bangladesh's current production capacity.

In addition, a cylinder filling site will also be built at Rupganj to provide a range of cylinder products to customers across all market segments.

Linde Asia Pacific executive board member and chief operating officer Sanjiv Lamba said: "Asia-Pacific is the growth engine for The Linde Group, and our Bangladesh business is an important part of our larger South Asia business.

"Economically, Bangladesh has developed at an impressive rate, maintaining a steady growth rate in recent years amidst a global economic downturn. We are optimistic that the country will continue to grow year-on-year."

The new plant will be built using the company's engineering technical and design capabilities.