Air Products has officially started operations at its new air separation facility in Cleveland, Ohio. The new plant, along with reinvestments in existing infrastructure, will supply industrial gases to both a key onsite customer and the wider regional market.
Air Products, a global leader in the industrial gas sector, announced today that its new air separation facility and liquefier in Cleveland, Ohio, is now fully operational. The state-of-the-art plant, which was built, is owned, and is operated by Air Products, is set to significantly enhance the company's supply capabilities in the Midwest, serving a diverse array of industries.
The new facility is a strategic expansion that includes advanced liquid production capabilities. It will provide essential industrial gases, including gaseous oxygen, gaseous nitrogen, and liquid argon, to a long-term onsite customer. Concurrently, the facility will also serve the broader regional merchant market, reinforcing Air Products' already strong presence in the area. The company has been a fixture in the Cleveland industrial landscape since the 1960s, a testament to its enduring commitment to the region.
In addition to the new construction, Air Products is making a crucial reinvestment in its existing air separation unit (ASU) and liquefier plant at the same location. This initiative is designed to extend the operational life of the facility, ensuring long-term reliability and efficiency. This dual-pronged strategy—building new capacity while upgrading existing assets—underscores the company's focus on sustainable growth and dependable supply.
"The new facility enhances this location as it will continue to provide a strategic footprint in an important merchant market while continuing to serve a significant onsite customer who is also investing at that location," said Francesco Maione, Air Products’ President, Americas. This reciprocal investment highlights the strong, collaborative relationship the company maintains with its clients, which is a core tenet of its business model.
An air separation unit (ASU) is a specialized industrial facility that separates atmospheric air into its primary components. This is typically achieved through a process called fractional distillation, which cools air to extremely low, or cryogenic, temperatures, causing its different components to liquefy at varying boiling points. These liquefied gases are then collected and stored for industrial use. The new Cleveland facility will play a critical role as a liquid backup source for several other Air Products' customers in the Cleveland area, further ensuring supply chain resilience.
The gases produced at the Cleveland plant are vital to a wide range of sectors. The industries served by Air Products from this location are broad and varied, including chemicals, food, electronics, primary materials, fabricated metals, health and medical, and utilities.
