Air Liquide to invest US$35mn in air gases plant

French industrial gases producer Air Liquide plans to invest 25mn euros (US$35mn) in an air gases plant in Santiago region, Chile, the company said in a statement. The plant will have capacity of close to 150t a day of liquid oxygen, nitrogen and argon, and supply liquid and cylinder gases to the industrial merchant and healthcare markets in the central and southern regions of the country. "We are very pleased to announce this investment in the Santiago region, representing Air Liquide's confidence in the Chilean economy, and our ability to meet the growing and more sophisticated needs of customers and patients in the region. Developing economies are a growth driver for Air Liquide," said Michael J Graff, president and CEO of American Air Liquide Holdings. The plant is scheduled to start up in mid-2013, according to the statement.