Air Liquide invests EUR200 mn in Japan for semiconductor sector

Gas major Air Liquide has announced a EUR200 million investment in two new plants in Hiroshima, Japan, to support the production of advanced semiconductor chips.

The two plants, likely air separation units (ASUs), will deliver ultra-pure nitrogen, oxygen, and argon once operational at the end of 2028.

Air Liquide will build, own, and operate the units under a long-term agreement with a major semiconductor manufacturer expanding its capacity in the region.

Ultra-pure gases are crucial for keeping semiconductor manufacturing clean and reliable.

Ronnie Chalmers, Vice-President at Air Liquide, supervising operations in the Asia-Pacific region, said the news keeps pace with next-generation chips, which fuel technologies like AI.

“Japan has been a powerhouse in the semiconductor industry since the 1980s and remains a global technology leader today,” he added.

The investment is also expected to strengthen Air Liquide’s long-standing presence in Japan, where the company has operated for more than a century.

Air Liquide currently has 78 facilities dedicated to semiconductor activities in Japan.

In 2019, the group opened its Tokyo innovation centre to identify molecules for next-gen chip production.