Praxair Starts Up Air Separation Plant for Steel Authority of India Limited

Praxair, Inc. (NYSE:PX) today announced the start-up of the first of two 1,250 metric tons per day air separation units at Steel Authority of India’s (SAIL) Bhilai, India facility. The plant will provide a reliable and energy efficient supply of gaseous oxygen, nitrogen and argon under a long term contract to support SAIL’s expansion activities. This is Praxair’s first large project in the state of Chhattisgarh and central India.

The facility will also produce liquid oxygen, nitrogen and argon to further support growing industrial and medical gases needs in the states of Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and parts of Maharashtra.

“Praxair has worked with Steel Authority of India since 2006, when we first signed our contract to supply industrial gases to their Durgapur facility,” said John Panikar, president, Praxair Asia. “We are proud to further strengthen our relationship with SAIL and we thank them for their confidence in us.”

“This plant will also expand Praxair’s merchant capabilities in central India and consolidate our presence in this growing market,” said Anuj Sharma, managing director of Praxair India. “Further, Praxair’s innovative applications technologies will help customers optimize costs and productivity, improve quality, as well as enable them to meet increasingly stringent environmental regulations.”

About Praxair

Praxair, Inc., a Fortune 250 company with 2013 sales of $12 billion, is the largest industrial gases company in North and South America and one of the largest worldwide. 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 many others. More information about Praxair, Inc. is available at www.praxair.com.

Praxair, Inc.Media:Jason Stewart, [e-mail]:Kelcey Hoyt, [e-mail]