Air Liquide to build EUR250 mn speciality gases plant in Germany for semiconductor sector

Industrial gases firm Air Liquide says it has been awarded a long-term contract to build new state-of-the-art industrial gas production units in the heart of “Silicon Saxony” in Dresden, Germany. Under this new long-term contract, Air Liquide will supply large volumes of high-purity gases directly on the manufacturing site of a major customer in the semiconductor industry. This planned investment of over EUR250 million will be Air Liquide’s largest investment ever to support the electronics industry in Europe.

Air Liquide will build, own and operate three Air Separation Units (ASUs), two hydrogen production units and associated infrastructure to provide its customers with a large, continuous, stable and reliable supply of ultra-pure nitrogen, oxygen, argon, hydrogen, helium and CO2 at the heart of the German “Silicon Saxony”, the major European hub dedicated to semiconductor technologies and located in Dresden. The facility is expected to be operational in 2027.

These new production units will rely on digital technologies, standardisation and modularisation to provide Air Liquide’s customers with value in terms of reliability and quality of supply, it adds.

By producing on-site most of the carrier gases needed to manufacture semiconductors, this new facility will contribute to technological progress while reducing the environmental footprint by lowering the carbon emissions associated with the transportation of gases by truck.

In addition, the electricity used to operate the facilities is targeted to be 100% renewable.