Air Liquide boosts presence in Japan with a new Air Separation Unit to support growing demand driven by Energy Transition and Semiconductor industry

PRESS RELEASE

                                                                                                                                            Paris, February 4, 2025

Air Liquide boosts presence in Japan with a new Air

Separation Unit to support growing demand driven by Energy Transition and Semiconductor industry

Air Liquide will build, own and operate, through a significant investment, a large-scale Air Separation Unit (ASU) in Naoshima Island, Japan. This plant is designed to meet the rising demand for copper, a crucial element for the energy transition, and support the production ramp-up of Mitsubishi Materials, Japan’s leading copper company. In addition to providing large volumes of oxygen with a capacity of up to 1,400 tons per day as well as nitrogen, Air Liquide’s new ASU will also produce argon and neon, helping to ensure a stable supply of those rare gases essential to Japan's key industries such as semiconductor manufacturing, transportation equipment manufacturing and construction work.

Further strengthening its long-term partnership, Air Liquide will support Mitsubishi Materials with their plan to increase copper production to address the growing demand for the use of electric vehicles, next-generation communication technology and renewable energy. 

Air Liquide will build, own and operate this ASU at the Naoshima smelter and refinery. Set to commence operations in 2027, it will rank among Air Liquide’s largest and state of the art oxygen production plants in Japan. The facility will also produce argon and neon, enhancing the capacity of these rare gases, crucial for semiconductor manufacturing and welding applications, to customers in those industries. 

Neon is particularly scarce in Japan, relying primarily on imports. Acknowledging the project’s strategic importance, the Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI)  awarded it a financial grant. This grant recognised Air Liquide’s efforts to bolster the domestic production of Neon to serve the semiconductor manufacturing industry, in line with its semiconductor supply security plan.

Ronnie Chalmers, Air Liquide Group Vice President, supervising Asia Pacific, commented: “We are proud to continue our partnership with Mitsubishi Materials. This ASU demonstrates Air Liquide’s technological expertise and capacity to support the growth of Mitsubishi Materials while strengthening the domestic supply of neon for the semiconductor industry. We welcome the Japanese government’s support, which enables us to leverage the large-scale oxygen production to co-produce argon and neon, strategically important for Japan, and in line with our ADVANCE strategic plan. ”

Air Liquide in Japan

Air Liquide has been present in Japan since 1907, and has been contributing to the development of Japanese industries for over 100 years. Supported by a highly-skilled workforce of approximately 2,000 employees, The Group supplies key molecules to companies in electronics and other industrial fields, collaborating with our clients in problem solving and joint research.

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Air Liquide is a world leader in gases, technologies and services for industry and healthcare. Present in 60 countries with 66,300 employees, the Group serves more than 4 million customers and patients. Oxygen, nitrogen and hydrogen are essential small molecules for life, matter and energy. They embody Air Liquide’s scientific territory and have been at the core of the Group’s activities since its creation in 1902. 

Taking action today while preparing the future is at the heart of Air Liquide’s strategy. With ADVANCE, its strategic plan for 2025, Air Liquide is targeting a global performance, combining financial and extra-financial dimensions. Positioned on new markets, the Group benefits from major assets such as its business model combining resilience and strength, its ability to innovate and its technological expertise. The Group develops solutions contributing to climate and the energy transition—particularly with hydrogen—and takes action to progress in areas of healthcare, digital and high technologies. 

Air Liquide’s revenue amounted to more than 27.5 billion euros in 2023. Air Liquide is listed on the Euronext Paris stock exchange (compartment A) and belongs to the CAC 40, CAC 40 ESG, EURO STOXX 50, FTSE4Good and DJSI Europe indexes. 

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