It was recently announced that Italian-based SIO, part of the Air Liquide Group, has inaugurated a new plant for the production of technical gas.
The company explains that the plant has been linked u…
It was recently announced that Italian-based SIO, part of the Air Liquide Group, has inaugurated a new plant for the production of technical gas. The company explains that the plant has been linked up to a 50 km long oxygen pipeline between Padua and Vicenza. The pipeline will cater for the growing needs of the leading steel companies in the area, such as the Venete, Valbruna and Beltrame steelworks. SIO“s investment in the entire plant amounts to L 50 billion (approx. US$ 31 million). The company points out that the new facility guarantees total oxygen production of 435 tpd, while liquid oxygen production (oxygen, nitrogen, argon) will amount to 215 tpd. This will see a marked increase in supplies of argon which are subject to current import levels. While the plant offers a high-level of automation, it also permits the consolidation of regional employee levels. “The new complex represents a fundamental stage in strengthening our productive structure in Italy,” commented SIO managing director, Rodolfo Danielli. “The new facility is the eighth installed in Italy and all of them are located in areas of marked industrial development. Moreover, with 480 km of pipeline laid, we are in a position to guarantee our major clients in the steel and petrochemical industries increased reliability at lower prices, with considerable reductions in haulage costs.” It was also announced that in January 1996, the 87-year old SIO changed name to Air Liquide Italia Srl. The name-change was the final touch to the restructuring process that had taken place in recent years. Initially, reorganisation was centred around the industrial and health sectors – each with its own markedly distinctive requirements. In the second phase, twenty industrial-sector units were set up nationwide. Subsequently, the company invested heavily in primary production and launched its new technology for on-site production or nitrogen and oxygen for clients. The name-change is intended to highlight the fact that Air Liquide Italia is part of a leading international group operating in 61 countries. Indeed, Air Liquide controls 120 companies and serves over 1 million clients worldwide. The company has a 27,000-strong workforce with total sales in excess of L 10,000 billion (approx. US$ 6.2 billion) and over 300,000 shareholders. With total 1994 consolidated sales of L 693 billion (US$ 428 million) and a 1,950-strong workforce and with a list of clients numbering over 100,000, Italy, along with France, US and Japan, is one of Air Liquide“s priority markets.