Air Products has opened a cryogenic air separation plant in the Guangdong Province of South China. The facility will produce both gaseous oxygen and nitrogen in a modular space that allows for easier field installation and requires less land, according to the company.

“We are excited about bringing additional capacity to provide high quality and reliable industrial gases to help our customers meet their productivity, efficiency, quality and sustainability goals,” says Saw Choon Seong, China president of Industrial Gases at Air Products. “This latest investment will put Air Products in an even stronger position in this important region. It also represents our on-going commitment to supporting the Chinese government to achieve industrial development and upgrade under its 13th Five-Year-Plan and ‘Made in China 2025’ strategy.”

The Guangdong government is implementing the “Intelligent Manufacturing Development Plan of Guangdong (2015-2025)” to accelerate the transformation of its manufacturing sector from “making” to “innovating.” Increased demand for industrial gases is expected from traditional core industries including electronics, glass, papermaking, automobiles, pharmaceuticals, food and beverage, as well as emerging segments including information and communications, advanced fabrication, new materials and biotechnology, according to Air Products.

The company was one of the first multinational industrial gas corporations to enter China, setting up its first plant in Shenzhen in 1987. Air Products employs about 2,500 employees in China today at a number of facilities, including a cryogenic equipment manufacturing center, a technology center, a strategic sourcing center and an IT application solutions center. In Guangdong, the company operates a supply network across the Pearl River Delta to support demand from over 30 regional industries. Prior to this new air separation facility, the company opened a packaged gasses plant in Dongguan last year.