Air Liquide Invests Nearly €60 Million in Partnership with Wanhua Chemical!

Air Liquide (Paris Bourse: AI) has signed a long-term cooperation agreement with Wanhua Chemical Group (" Wanhua "), a world-renowned supplier of innovative chemical products, with an investment of nearly €60 million. Under the terms of the agreement, Air Liquide will acquire and operate an air separation unit (ASU) in Yantai, China, and establish a strong partnership with Wanhua. On this basis, Air Liquide also plans to add and operate a liquid argon production facility built by Air Liquide Engineering and Construction to provide high-quality gas services to industrial and commercial markets in Yantai and Shandong Province.

The partnership marks the first long-term cooperation agreement between Air Liquide and Wanhua and will not only boost Air Liquide's presence in the industrial and medical gas supply sector in Yantai, but also further consolidate its presence in Shandong Province. With the ASU expected to be operational by the end of 2024, Air Liquide will fully supply nitrogen, oxygen and argon to the local industrial and commercial markets.

Ronnie Chalmers, Vice President of Air Liquide Asia Pacific, said: "We are proud to have formed a strategic partnership with a world-class chemical giant such as Wanhua. This long-term contract is not only a recognition of Air Liquide's technical strength and market competitiveness, but also of our operational excellence. As the new industrial gas supplier in Yantai City, we look forward to working with Wanhua to create brilliance, jointly explore new industrial and commercial markets, and contribute to the Group's 2025 ADVANCE strategic plan."

Mr. Liao Zengtai, Chairman of Wanhua Chemical Group, is also full of expectations for the cooperation between the two parties: "The in-depth cooperation with Air Liquide further consolidates our strategic partnership and lays a solid foundation for the long-term development of both parties. We are confident that by working together we will be able to achieve even more fruitful results in the future."

Air Liquide has more than 120 plants and nearly 5,600 employees in the Chinese market, with operations in major industrial areas along the coast and gradually expanding into central, southern and western regions. The Group's core business spans industrial and medical gas operations, home health services, engineering and construction (including the design, manufacture and installation of air separation/hydrogen facilities), and innovation activities. As a global leader in gases, technologies and services for the industrial and medical sectors, Air Liquide employs more than 66,300 people in 60 countries and serves more than 4 million customers and patients worldwide.

Air Liquide will continue to uphold its core strategy of "Building for the future" and deliver solid growth in global performance through the Strategic Plan 2025. The Group will actively explore new market areas and make full use of its unique business model, innovation capabilities and technical expertise to promote the development of climate and energy transition, especially in the field of hydrogen energy, while making new breakthroughs in the fields of health care, digital and high-tech. In 2023, Air Liquide achieved an operating income of more than 27.5 billion euros, demonstrating its strong market competitiveness and steady development trend.