Emirates Float Glass signs agreement with Air Products & Chemicals and Saudi’s Abdullah Hashim Gases & Equipment to supply nitrogen and hydrogen

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Emirates Float Glass (EFG), the UAE’s first integrated glass processing facility and a subsidiary of Glass LLC which is wholly owned by Dubai Investments, has signed a 15-year nitrogen and hydrogen supply agreements with worldwide leading industrial gases company Air Products & Chemicals and Saudi Arabia’s largest private industrial gases company Abdullah Hashim Gases & Equipment.

Under the agreement, Air Products & Chemicals and Abdullah Hashim Gases & Equipment will design, construct, operate and handle maintenance of a new industrial gases production facility to be located in the Industrial City of Abu Dhabi. Nitrogen and hydrogen products will be supplied to EFG’s process in order to facilitate continuous and specific atmospheric conditions inside the float glass unit.

“Air Products and Abdullah Hashim Gases & Equipment have been selected on the basis of an unmatched combination of Air Products’ extensive worldwide experience in designing, constructing and operating industrial gases production units to supply float glass plants, and Abdullah Hashim Gases & Equipment’s long established industrial gases production and distribution activities in the gulf region. Together, they ensure the highest supply security for EFG,” Khalid Kalban, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Dubai Investments.

“These partnerships will consolidate Emirates Float Glass’ crucial role in addressing increasing demands for quality glass products in the UAE and the whole GCC region,” Kalban added.

Kalban signed the contract on behalf of EFG along with Richard Boocock, Vice President for Europe & Middle East of Tonnage Gases and Energy, who represented the US-based Air Products, and Khalid Hashim, Managing Director of Saudi Arabia-based Abdullah Hashim Gases and Equipment Company.

“The new gas facility is designed to meet the highest standards of continuous nitrogen and hydrogen supply with respect to safety and reliability, as well as high product purity and power efficiency. EFG will benefit from Air Products’ globally proven in-house nitrogen cryogenic distillation technology and Abdullah Hashim Gases’ regional project execution, management and logistics expertise in running the new industrial gases facility, which is expected to be on-stream by mid 2008,” Hashim said.

Expressing his delight over the partnership, Kalban said, “The decision to seek alliance with world-class entities in perusing various diversified business interests in the region and beyond complements very well the long-term vision and business mission of Dubai Investments PJSC.”

EFG’s float glass production plant will have an annual capacity of about 160,000 tons of various glass products or a daily production capacity of 600 tons that will effectively address the evolving needs of different market segments.