NLMK Group and Air Liquide expand cooperation in the production of industrial gases

Novolipetsk Iron and Steel Works, the flagship site of NLMK Group, and the French Air Liquide, one of the leading producers of industrial gases, signed a package of agreements to expand cooperation. As part of the agreement, Air Liquide will build a modern air separation unit (ASU) in Lipetsk and acquire assets for the production of hydrogen and rare gas concentrates from NLMK. The joint projects will increase the reliability of NLMK's supply of compressed air and its separation products against the backdrop of a planned increase in steel production by 1 million tonnes until 2022. Air Liquide will design and build a 34,000 cubic meter ASU in Lipetsk. meters of oxygen per hour, as well as a steam turbine and infrastructure. The new ASU will supply the plant with oxygen and nitrogen on an outsourced basis. Its launch will increase the efficiency of NLMK's production processes and reduce costs due to the best energy efficiency of the ASP and gas production technology without the use of additional compressor units. The new equipment is scheduled to be commissioned in the second quarter of 2023. NLMK will sell to the French company two hydrogen production stations, a section for the production of inert gases: neon-helium and krypton-xenon mixtures, and filling stations. The sale of Air Liquide will ensure further dynamic capacity development and increase the efficiency of the transaction for both participants. “We welcome the emergence of Air Liquide as a partner at NLMK's production site. The agreement makes it possible to jointly develop competencies not only in the production of technical gases, but also in new areas - decarbonization, hydrogen energy and hydrogen metallurgy, "commented Sergey Chebotarev, Vice President for Energy of NLMK Group. Information about Air Liquide Air Liquide is a world leader in production gases and the provision of services for industry and health. The company is represented in 80 countries around the world with a total of about 67,000 employees and serves more than 3.7 million customers and patients. Oxygen, nitrogen and hydrogen are the main molecules of life, matter and energy. They represent Air Liquide's R&D territory and have been at the heart of the company since its founding in 1902. Air Liquide revenues reached € 22 billion in 2019, with more than 40% of sales coming from life and environmental solutions. Air Liquide is listed on the Paris Stock Exchange (Category A) and is listed on the CAC 40, EURO STOXX 50 and FTSE4Good indices. Air Liquide currently operates 17 production sites in key regions in Russia. More than 600 employees are responsible for the supply of products and services to more than 1,500 consumers. Information about the NLMK Group NLMK Group is a vertically integrated steel company, the largest in Russia and one of the world's most efficient steel producers. NLMK Group metal products are used in various industries, from construction and engineering to power equipment and offshore wind turbines. NLMK's production assets are located in Russia, Europe and the United States. The company's steel production capacity exceeds 17 million tons per year. NLMK demonstrates high cost competitiveness among global manufacturers, and the company's profitability is one of the highest in the industry. The company's revenue for 2019 was $ 10.6 billion, EBITDA was $ 2.6 billion. The Net Debt /EBITDA ratio was 0.7x. The company has investment grade credit ratings from S&P, Moody's, Fitch and RAEX (Expert RA). NLMK's ordinary shares, free-float of 18.6%, are traded on the Moscow Stock Exchange (ticker NLMK), global depository shares - on the London Stock Exchange (ticker "NLMK: LI"). The share capital of the Company is divided into 5,993,227,240 ordinary shares with a par value of 1 Russian ruble. More information about NLMK's share capital can be found here. For more information about NLMK Group on the website. You can download photos and corporate videos of NLMK Group from the media bank at the link.