Linde to build two large air separation plants in China

• On-site contract concluded with polyurethane manufacturer Yantai Wanhua

• Investment volume of around 130 million euro

• Competitive position in China reinforced

Munich, 29 July 2011 – The technology company The Linde Group has been commissioned to build and operate two large air separation plants to supply gases on site to the Chinese company Yantai Wanhua in Shandong (East China). The contract for the project, which will involve investment of around EUR 130 m, was signed on 26 July 2011.

"We are very excited to be working with Wanhua in this project and further enhancing our strategic relationship with a company that is truly taking the lead in advancing the technological ladder in China and globally. This order is also a further confirmation of our successful expansion in a region of dynamic growth," said Sanjiv Lamba, the Linde AG Executive Board member responsible for the Asian business of the group. "This project will enable us to strengthen our position as the leading gases and engineering company in China."

The two plants, which are to be built by Linde’s Engineering Division, each have a capacity of 55,000 normal cubic metres of oxygen per hour. They are expected to come on stream between end 2013 and at the start of 2014, when they will supply oxygen and nitrogen to Yantai Wanhua’s production plants. In addition, Linde will produce liquefied products for the open market in the Shandong region. The project includes the construction of a 20-kilometre pipeline in the Yantai Economic and Technology Park.

Yantai Wanhua is the only Chinese company which has the technical know-how to produce MDI. MDI is an intermediate product in the manufacture of polyurethane, which is used in large quantities for example in the construction and automobile industries. China is in the process of becoming one of the principal markets for MDI. The Shandong province in the east of China is the third largest province in China in terms of gross domestic product.

The Linde Group is a world-leading gases and engineering company with around 49,100 employees working in more than 100 countries worldwide. In the 2010 financial year, it achieved sales of 12.868 billion euro. The strategy of The Linde Group is geared towards sustainable earnings-based growth and focuses on the expansion of its international business with forward-looking products and services. Linde acts responsibly towards its shareholders, business partners, employees, society and the environment – in every one of its business areas, regions and locations across the globe. Linde is committed to technologies and products that unite the goals of customer value and sustainable development.

For more information, see The Linde Group online at http://www.linde.com

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