(Archived) Praxair Technology Helps Arcelormittal Win Steel Industry Award

Project Reduces Fuel Consumption by 260,000 Btu per ton of steel produced

DANBURY, CT – Nov. 10, 2010 — Praxair, Inc. (NYSE: PX) has announced that its innovative Dilute Oxygen Combustion (DOC) technology, installed at ArcelorMittal in Indiana, contributed to the steelmaker receiving the 2010 Energy Achievement Award from the Association for Iron & Steel Technology (AIST).

This award recognizes the company’s efforts to increase the energy efficiency of one of the steelmaker’s reheat furnaces at its 84-inch hot strip mill in East Chicago, Ind. By utilizing the DOC technology with the installation of a 145 MMBtu/hr oxy-fuel system, the operation was able to reduce the fuel consumption by 0.26 million Btu per ton of steel (approximately 260,000 million Btu per year).

“We are very pleased to work with ArcelorMittal on this large oxy-fuel conversion and to help them reduce fuel consumption and overall costs,” said Pravin Mathur, market director for Steel and Combustion, for Praxair’s North American Industrial Gases business unit. “Our DOC technology is specifically designed to minimize installation costs and provide operational flexibility. This technology has been implemented successfully in more than 150 installations worldwide involving a variety of industries.”

“We are honored to receive this recognition in collaboration with Praxair,” said Larry Fabina, USA Energy Team coordinator and manager, continuous improvement, ArcelorMittal. “At ArcelorMittal, we focus on producing safe, sustainable steel which includes a strong commitment to energy efficiency at all our operations. This conversion will continue to deliver significant energy and cost savings. The reduction in natural gas from this single furnace conversion equates to the natural gas consumed by 1,945 homes for a year in the U.S.”

AIST, whose membership includes iron and steel producers, suppliers and academics, presents this annual award to an individual or organization to recognize their deployment and use of innovative new technologies or practices that result in significant energy conservation improvements. To qualify, awardees must have operated and realized the energy benefits for at least two years to ensure that the solution is credible and sustainable.

About ArcelorMittal
ArcelorMittal (NYSE: MT) is the world's leading steel company, with operations in more than 60 countries. ArcelorMittal is the leader in all major global steel markets, including automotive, construction, household appliances and packaging, with leading R&D and technology, as well as sizeable captive supplies of raw materials and outstanding distribution networks. With an industrial presence in over 20 countries spanning four continents, the company covers all of the key steel markets, from emerging to mature. In 2009, ArcelorMittal had revenues of $65.1 billion and crude steel production of 73.2 million tons, representing approximately eight percent of world steel output. For more information about ArcelorMittal visit: www.arcelormittal.com.

About Praxair
Praxair, Inc. 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.