Air Water will newly build a small VSU of liquid oxygen/liquid nitrogen (LO/LIN) plant in each of Kita Kyushu, Fukuoka Prefecture and Kameyama, Mie Prefecture.

In Wakamatsu of Kita Kyushu City they establish Kita Kyushu Ekisan with a filling station. Following the shutdown of blast furnace in Kokura Ward of Nippon Steel’s Yawata Works planned in the first half of 2020, the gas production and filling base inside the Works is going to be removed.

The VSU having an output capacity of LO600m3/h and LIN1400m3/h is invested 30% by Air Water and 70% by Kyushu Air Water.

Air Water has already had VSUs at three locations in Kyushu, but now intends to reinforce its gas supply network within the territory by building up Kita Kyushu Ekisan and also to cope with the demand of new users and expanding production lines of current users.

In the new filling station, they are planning to integrate the filling work of mixture gases like oxygen, nitrogen, carbon-dioxide, argon and ELNACKS which the former plant was supplying. In addition, they intend to integrate the productive function more effectively by transfer of the helium filling work from the aged facilities of Udo Plant, Kumamoto and through the introduction of the most advanced facilities to test containers including cylinders, LGC and tank trucks.

Other than these facilities, AWI is planning to build a tank truck base and sales office inside the premises in order to make up the site as an important strategic place in the Northern Kyushu area. Both VSU and the filling station are scheduled to start operation in May 2021.

The new construction of Kameyama Ekisan in Kameyama City, on the other hand, is aimed to respond to the booming demand for gas in the automobile and electronics field in the Chubu Area. The construction site of the plant is located in the Kameyama/Seki Techno Hills Industrial Complex adjacent to Sharp’s Kameyama Plant, from which you can make a convenient access to the Chubu Area and the Kinki Area.

The plant is expected to cover the insufficient supply capacity which has so far been made up for by procurement from Tokai Ekisan and other production bases in the Chubu Area or by means of a long-distance transportation from Osaka Seafront Area. Furthermore, it will also function to back up the Hokuriku Area and Shiga Prefecture leading to the cost reduction by a shorter distance for transportation.

The production capacity is LO 1,000m3/h and LIN 2,660m3/h.
For the time being, the plant will remain managed with a 100% investment by Air Water and will be put in operation from July 2021. Inside the premises Mie Sales Office will newly be built, too.

A total of 18 units of VSU are in operation across the country, and the 19th unit is under construction now. With the addition of the two units at this time, it will become 21 units all told.