(Archived) Praxair Starts Up Plant to Supply Eldorado in Brazil

Danbury, Conn., April 12, 2013 - White Martins, the Brazil-based subsidiary of Praxair, Inc. (NYSE: PX), has started up a new air separation plant in the state of Mato Grosso, in Brazil’s fast growing Midwest region.  As part of a long-term contract, Praxair will supply Eldorado Celulose e Papel’s single-line pulp mill, which will be the largest in the world.

The new air separation unit will have the capacity to produce 220 tons per day of oxygen, nitrogen and argon.  Oxygen is a critical component in Eldorado’s manufacturing process.  Oxygen delignification, used in the pulp bleaching process, reduces active chlorine requirements, providing significant operating cost advantages and environmental benefits.  The plant will also supply local merchant liquid customers in the Brazilian Midwest and in the neighboring state of Sao Paulo in markets such as petrochemicals, metals and healthcare.

“This is Praxair’s fifth plant in this region, which further enhances our production and distribution capabilities,” said Domingos Bulus, president of White Martins.  “We look forward to playing an important role in Eldorado’s ongoing growth and contributing to the industrial and economic development of this region.”

"We are very pleased to work with Praxair.  The company's broad-based experience and industry expertise is paramount to the excellence of our production,” said Carlos Monteiro, industrial technical director for Eldorado Brasil.

About White Martins Gases Industriais Ltda.

White Martins is the leading industrial and medical gases company in South America, operating in Brazil and eight other countries in the region.  It has supplied a comprehensive range of industrial gases and technologies to customers in a wide variety of industries for 100 years.

About Praxair

Praxair, Inc. (NYSE: PX), is the largest industrial gases company in North and South America, and one of the largest worldwide, with 2012 sales of $11 billion. The company produces, sells and distributes atmospheric, process and specialty gases, and high-performance surface coatings. Praxair products, services and technologies are making our planet more productive by bringing efficiency 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, Inc. is available on the Internet at www.praxair.com.

About Eldorado Brasil: 

Eldorado Brasil is a Brazilian company that officially opened in December 2012 and is the world’s largest single line pulp factory. The company whose main shareholder is J&F has the capacity to produce 1.5 million metric tons of bleached eucalyptus pulp per year.  Production is mostly targeted to export markets for paper manufacturers including North America, Europe and Asia as well as to Brazilian customers.  The company combines the best technologies available with a project management team focused on efficient and sustainable industrial processes.