Linde India to invest Rs 425 crore in Odisha, to generate hundreds of job opportunities

Linde India is investing Rs 425 crore to set up a new Air Separation Unit (ASU) at the Kalinganagar Industrial Complex in Odisha's Jajpur district.

Plans in this regard were detailed when CM Mohan Majhi held the inauguration and groundbreaking ceremonies of 24 large-scale projects in the state on May 22.

Notably, the new unit signals a major capacity boost for Linde, already a key supplier of industrial gases to Tata Steel's operations in the state.

What Is An Air Separation Unit & Why It Matters

An Air Separation Unit is a critical facility that separates atmospheric air into its primary components, mainly oxygen, nitrogen, and argon, through cryogenic distillation. 

These gases are essential for steelmaking, welding, chemical processing, and a wide range of industrial applications.

On its website, Linde stated that the new plant will more than double its on-site capacity at Kalinganagar and meet the growing demand from both captive customers and the wider merchant market.

In addition to bolstering supply to local steel manufacturing units, the new ASUs will also cater to JSL Group's recently inaugurated plant.

The facility will operate on renewable energy sources, supporting Linde’s 2035 climate goal to reduce absolute greenhouse gas emissions.

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Driving Steel Sector Growth

The timing of Linde’s expansion aligns with two major steel projects in the region. On the same day, CM Majhi inaugurated Tata Steel’s Rs 47,599 crore expansion of its 5 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) Integrated Steel Plant (ISP), projected to generate 4,625 jobs.

Simultaneously, the groundbreaking ceremony for NINL’s 8.52 MTPA steel plant at an investment of Rs 61,769 crore was also held and is expected to create 14,000 direct jobs. 

It is worth mentioning that these two mega-projects together account for more than half of the 36,000 employment opportunities linked to recent industrial investments in Odisha. 

Further, the Linde plant is one of 24 projects inaugurated or launched on that day by the CMi, representing a total investment of Rs 1.15 lakh crore.

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It is worth mentioning that the Kalinganagar Industrial Complex in Odisha's Jajpur district is rapidly emerging as India’s next big steel and manufacturing hub.