Praxair Inc. has signed a long-term contract with Taewoong Steel Co. LTD to supply high-purity oxygen to the company's steel mill facility in Busan, Korea.

Praxair will construct a new 180 tons per day air separation plant and pipeline in the Mieum Foreign Industrial Zone in Busan that will serve Taewoong, as well as new and other existing customers. The plant is expected to start up in 2016. The new plant will help Taewoong meet customer demand for high-quality forged metal products in the wind turbine, shipbuilding, chemical and power plant sectors. The plant will also increase Praxair's supply of gaseous nitrogen, delivered via pipeline, to meet growing demand from an existing electronics customer. In addition, the plant will supply oxygen, nitrogen and argon to local merchant liquid customers in southern Korea for such industries as shipbuilding, metals, mechanics, steel fabrication and others.