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AGA has received a permit for construction of an air separation plant

23 November, 2019

After almost a year of careful preparation, the industrial and specialty gases company AGA has received a permit to build a plant for separating air into nitrogen and oxygen at the Kėdainiai Free Economic Zone. It is planned to complete the construction at the end of 2020. 20 million euro will be invested in the construction project. AGA is a member of the Linde Group, one of the largest industrial gases and engineering companies in the world.

In the press release, the head of business development for AGA in the Baltic region, Dalius Klyvis, says, “We searched for the best place to build the plant for several months. We chose the Kėdainiai Free Economic Zone (FEZ), taking into account its strategic geographic location and excellent infrastructure, and also important were our successful negotiations with the Kėdainiai FEZ management, to whom we are grateful for their smooth cooperation and all-round support.” He expects the plant’s closer location to the company’s customers to reduce transport expenses and delivery times.

Arturas Klangauskas, CEO of Kedainiai FEZ says: “We are proud that the world-class leader Linde Group is coming to the Kėdainiai area, which has traditionally been strong in the agro-industry. We appreciate their investment in solutions using the latest technologies. Knowing that the production processes in the plant will be automated, we also look forward to the many ways that the competencies of the employees from the Kėdainiai area can contribute to the company’s growth”.

The first AGA air separation plant has been operating in Latvia for 12 years, and the second will be built in Lithuania. Most of the processes at the plant will be automated, while qualified staff will be responsible for performing maintenance of systems and equipment. It is important to note that the company will apply the most modern safety standards and great attention will be paid to occupational safety.

On the one-hectare plot, it is planned to build an administrative building, a compressor station, a tanker-truck filling station and other essential equipment. The planned area of the administrative building is 90 m² and of the compressor station is 290 m². The total area to be occupied by the buildings and the specialised equipment will be 1,200 m².

In the press release, the head of sales and marketing for AGA in the Baltic region, Johanna Ylikoski, notes, “This investment is a strategic move by the company, to expand and reinforce its position as the leader in the industrial gases market in the region. The decision to invest in the new plant in Lithuania was encouraged by growing consumer demand and new projects for using industrial gases.”

The construction engineering consultancy Baltic Engineers, specialising in the design of industrial sites, prepared its solutions in accordance with the parameters specified by Linde Engineers. The other partners for construction, supply of energy and installation of equipment will be selected in the near future.

The Managing Director of Invest Lithuania, Mantas Katinas, states, “AGA’s planned complex is an excellent example of what manufacturing will look like in the future, making full use of the latest automated solutions. We are excited to see that more and more investors recognise the advantages of the country’s regions and are deciding to expand their operations here.”