(Archived) Praxair India strengthens its association with Steel Authority of India Limited

• Praxair consolidates its leading position in India

• Foundation stone laid on 29th March 2010

BENGALURU, India, March 30, 2010 — Praxair India Private Limited, India’s largest industrial gases supplier, has won a major contract for supply of gases to the Bhilai facility of Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL), India’s flagship steel manufacturer and a leading global player.

Praxair India will build, own and operate two state-of-the-art cryogenic air separation units, each with a capacity of 1,250 metric tons per day. Scheduled to start up in 2012, the plants will be built in line with Praxair’s global standards adhering to high levels of safety and reliability. The air separation plant will include liquefaction equipment, allowing it to meet the growing demand for oxygen, nitrogen and argon in the central India market.

SAIL, Bhilai will use the gases in its expansion of production capacity from 5 million to 7 million tons per year of crude steel. The capacity enhancement at Bhilai is in line with SAIL’s expansion plans in meeting India’s fast growing demand for steel in infrastructure, automobile, capital goods and various other segments.

At the groundbreaking ceremony, Mr. Ramaraju, managing director, SAIL, Bhilai, said, “Being a global leader in industrial gases, Praxair has high safety standards and operational efficiency and we are confident that they will meet our requirements and support us in our expansion plans.”

“Praxair’s relationship with SAIL started in 2006, with the award for setting up an air separation unit at SAIL’s Durgapur facility, and ever since then we have had a mutually satisfying partnership,” said Mr. Gajanan Nabar, managing director, Praxair India. “The air separation unit at SAIL, Bhilai is of strategic importance for our expansion plans as it shall provide access to the industrial markets in Madhya Pradesh, Chattisgarh and Maharashtra,” added Mr. Nabar.

Praxair India, headquartered in Bengaluru, is a wholly owned subsidiary of Praxair, Inc. and started its operations in 1996. Praxair India has evolved as India’s largest industrial and medical gases supplier for various industry segments such as steel, refineries, petrochemicals, glass, automobile, shipbuilding and healthcare, amongst others. Praxair India has a pan-India presence with over 35 locations, employing about 600 people.

Praxair India has built large air separation plants to supply industrial gases for major companies such as JSW Steel, Tata Steel, Saint-Gobain Glass, Haldia Petrochemicals and Hospet Steel. Praxair India is building and will own and operate hydrogen and nitrogen plants to supply the Indian Oil Corporation Limited refinery at Paradip, Orissa.

Praxair, Inc. (NYSE: PX) is the largest industrial gases company in North and South America, and one of the largest worldwide, with 2009 sales of $9 billion. The company produces, sells and distributes atmospheric, process and specialty gases, and high-performance surface coatings. Praxair products, services and technologies bring productivity and environmental benefits to a wide variety of industries, including aerospace, chemicals, food and beverage, electronics, energy, healthcare, manufacturing, metals and others. More information on Praxair is available on the Internet at www.praxair.com.