Linde’s South Arkansas Liquid Nitrogen Plant In Full Operation

A spokeswoman with Linde North America said Monday that the gas and engineering company’s new $50 million air separation gasification plant in Lewisville is now in full operation.

The liquid nitrogen produced at the South Arkansas plant will be shipped by tanker truck to food processors for freezing and chilling of a variety of meats, poultry and a host of other products.

Both the nitrogen and oxygen are serving the growing requirements of manufacturers of refined oil, petrochemicals, fine and specialty chemicals, pharmaceuticals, and pulp and paper products located in Arkansas, Louisiana, Texas and Oklahoma, Linde officials said.

The Lewisville plant, which held an official grand opening in early May, separates air cryogenically to produce 470 tons per day of liquid oxygen and nitrogen. The operation employs 24 workers.

“This plant gives us the size and operating efficiencies we need to support our top customers, who are experiencing exceptional growth in their businesses and who are poised for even more growth in the future,” said Cliff Caldwell, Linde’s senior vice president of sales and marketing for Regional Americas.

Also on Monday, Linde officials held the official grand opening and start-up of its atmospheric gases unit and gasification plant in La Porte, Texas. That facility will produce liquid oxygen, nitrogen and argon and is part of the $250 million invested at the site that also includes a new gasification train and ancillary equipment and facilities.

That plant will produce liquid oxygen and nitrogen that will be shipped by truck to serve the rapidly growing merchant market in and around the Houston Ship Channel, officials said. The liquid argon is being shipped by rail to serve customers in Northern California and the Pacific Northwest – and points in between.

Company officials said The La Porte facility and the new plant in South Arkansas is part of the company’s aggressive North American expansion plans, which include a nitrogen liquefier in Delta, Ohio, an expansion of ultra-high purity nitrogen and oxygen in Hillsboro, Oregon, air gasification plant upgrades in Canada and Braddock, Pa., as well as a new specialty gases plant in Hammond, Indiana.

Linde North America is part of The Linde Group, based in Munich, Germany. Last year, the German industrial giant reported annual revenues of nearly $18 billion.