Japan Air Gases Ltd. has signed a long term contract with Showa Denko K. K. to supply oxygen and nitrogen at Showa Denko’s waste plastic recycling plant in Kawasaki and started production from July 2006. The waste-plastic recycling plant is producing raw material gases such as hydrogen from waste plastic, which then are used to produce ammonia.

Under this contract, Japan Air Gases has invested and commissioned a new Air Separation Unit(ASU) manufactured by Air Liquide Japan, which integrates all the latest energy saving technologies, and will achieve significant improvement of power consumption.

With the installation of the new ASU, Showa Denko aims for further improvement in cost efficiency of the recycling plant, by scrapping one of its two proprietary ASUs.

Showa Denko’s waste-plastic recycling plant is a “zero-emission” plant that decomposes used plastic from domestic wastes at high temperature using a unique two-stage heating system, and transfers output elements into raw material gases for ammonia production, thus contributing to the preservation of the environment by creating an effective recycling process of waste plastic. With this plant approximately 50% of the main raw materials necessary for Showa Denko’s production of ammonia are generated from gases produced by the waste- plastic recycling plant.

Guy SALZGEBER, President & CEO of Japan Air Gases, commented: “With this new unit supplying the needs of Showa Denko in Kawasaki for recycling waste plastics, we are also very pleased to deepen our long term relation with one of the leading Chemical Companies in Japan. Our company aims to bring innovative and cost efficient solutions and technologies to respond to our customers’ needs in terms of environment protection and efficiency, making the most of our international global network and long experience in Japan.”

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Japan Air Gases Ltd. (Headquarter: Tokyo, Capital: 10,509 million yen, President and CEO Guy SALZGEBER) was established in January 2003, on the purpose to integrate industrial and medical gas business of Air Liquide Japan Ltd. (established in 1907) and Osaka Sanso Kogyo Ltd. (established in 1934) and operates business activities in Japanese market. Parent companies of Japan Air Gases Ltd. are 2 worldwide leading companies in the industrial and medical gas business, Air Liquide group (France 55%) and BOC group (U.K. 45%). Utilizing parent companies’ global technology and experiences, Japan Air Gases Ltd. is able to supply most advanced solutions.

Showa Denko K.K. (Headquarter: Tokyo, Capital: 110,514 million yen, President Kyohei TAKAHASHI) was established in 1939, and since then has pioneered Japan’s Chemical industry by succeeding in aluminum production and ammonia production for the first time in Japan. Showa Denko, as a unique chemical company combining technologies in inorganic and organic chemicals and aluminum manufacturing, elaborates these technologies, provides new products and services to respond to customers’ expectations, and contributes to development of industries

Contact:

Japan Air Gases Ltd. :
Shun Toyoyama, Communication Dept, 
TEL：03-3536-2642
URL：http://www.japanairgases.co.jp/

Showa Denko K.K. :
Junichi Tagaki, PR&IR Office.
TEL：03-5470-3235
URL：http://www.sdk.co.jp/