Specialist gases company Afrox has approved R300-million in funding to build a 150 t/d air separation unit in the industrial development zone of Coega, in the Eastern Cape, to supply various gases to industrial clients and health services in the region, says Afrox MD Brett Kimber.

The unit will separate 150 t of air a day to produce mainly oxygen, nitrogen and argon and it will have ten-day storage facilities on site.

“Demand for Afrox products in the region is high and is expected to increase. The new air separation unit will supply this demand and the investment reflects Afrox’s corporate strategy to provide supply in the areas where our customers use our products,” Kimber notes.

The unit will support development in the Port Elizabeth region and in the Eastern Cape by supplying gases used by the diverse indus-tries in the development zone and the province.

Afrox is part of German engineering giant Linde Group, which will build the air separa-tion unit and ship it to the site, enabling the building and commissioning to occur within 12 months, says Kimber.

“The engineering capabilities and experience of Linde Group [will ensure] that the unit will use 15% to 20% less power than older air separation plants. The unit will be designed in a modular fashion, enabling prefabrication and rapid commissioning, with the potential to expand the plant in future,” he explains.

The plant is aimed at supporting the devel- opment of infrastructure, industries and com- munities in the area, Kimber adds, high-lighting that Afrox has a long history of pro-viding university bursaries for the children of its employees.

The investment by Afrox is an enabler for the Coega industrial development zone because it adds a capability that the zone, as an invest-ment location, did not readily have access to before; it also acts as a foundation for Afrox’s growth in the region, says Coega Development Corporation (CDC) executive manager of business development Chris Mashigo.

Gases are widely used in many industries, from food and beverage to industrial uses and healthcare, highlighting the importance of the investment in the development of the plant.

“Many investors consider the availability of basic and industrial utilities and cost effec-tiveness in the regions where they want to invest, making this investment significant for Coega,” he emphasises.

“We are pleased to have an investor of the stature of Afrox in our development zone,” concludes CDC CEO Mninawe Silinga.