Linde breaks ground for Bangladesh’s largest liquid producing air separation unit

Dhaka, 5 April 2016 - Linde Bangladesh Limited, a member of The Linde Group’s Gases Division, today marked the start of construction for the company’s BDT 1.2 billion (EUR 14.6 million) air separation unit (ASU) in Rupganj.

Linde’s investment in this new plant was announced in November 2015. When completed in 2017, the Rupganj plant will produce approximately 100 tonnes per day of liquefied gases, making it the largest liquid producing ASU in Bangladesh. Linde will design, built and manage the Rupganj plant and it will feature state-of-the art energy efficient technology. It will provide liquefied gases supply and related solutions to Bangladesh’s growing healthcare, food and beverage, fabrication, pharmaceutical, shipbuilding and ship recycling industries.

The Rupganj plant will more than double Linde Bangladesh’s current production capacity, strengthening Linde’s position as the leading gases player in Bangladesh. A state-of-the-art cylinder filling site at Rupganj will also be built to provide a range of cylinder products to customers across all market segments.

His Excellency, Dr. Thomas Prinz, Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany to Bangladesh, officiated the groundbreaking ceremony of Linde Bangladesh’s Rupganj 100TPD ASU today. Mr. Golam Dastagir Gazi, Honorable Member of Parliament for Narayanganj-1, attended as its Special Guest.

Dr. Prinz said, “It gives me great pleasure to take part in this event. Linde is a world famous German blue chip company. By investing in this country, Linde demonstrates that it has faith in Bangladesh and its market. By providing the necessary support to Linde, the authorities in Bangladesh show that investing in Bangladesh does pay off and that Foreign Direct Investments are really welcomed. Thus, I hope that this venture serves as a successful example of such investments which in turn can help to attract other multi-national companies to follow suit.”

Mr. Sanjiv Lamba, Executive Board Member and Chief Operating Officer, Asia Pacific, Linde AG, said, “Asia Pacific is the growth engine for The Linde Group, and our Bangladesh business is an important part of our larger South Asia business. Economically, Bangladesh has developed at an impressive rate, maintaining a steady growth rate in recent years amidst a global economic downturn. We are optimistic that the country will continue to grow year-on-year .“

Mr. Lamba added, “Demand for our gases offerings has continued to been strong and we are making this investment as an investment for the future. The Rupganj plant will more than double Linde Bangladesh’s current production capacity, strengthening Linde’s position as the leading gases player in Bangladesh. We are proud to continue to partner Bangladesh in its growth journey just as we always have for the past 60 years.“

The new ASU will be built leveraging Linde’s engineering technical and design expertise. Linde’s world-leading technology in air separation design offers high energy efficiency and operational reliability.

About Linde Bangladesh

Linde Bangladesh Limited is a member of The Linde Group that has been present in Bangladesh since the 1950’s. A pioneer multinational company in the gases business, Linde Bangladesh has operations today in Tejgaon, Rupganj and Shitalpur. With close to 20 sales centers spread throughout the country, Linde Bangladesh serves over 35,000 customers from a wide array of industries - from hospitals to fabrication and from steel to food packaging and beverages.

Linde Bangladesh Limited is committed in setting new benchmarks and standards – in the quality of its products & services, and the health, safety and the environment for its employees, customers and stakeholders.

For more information see www.linde.com.bd.

About The Linde Group:

In the 2015 financial year, The Linde Group generated revenue of EUR 17.944 bn, making it one of the leading gases and engineering companies in the world, with approximately 65,000 employees working in more than 100 countries worldwide. The strategy of The Linde Group is geared towards long-term profitable 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. The company 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 www.linde.com