BOC’s Kwinana plant secures $10m grant

Australian gases and engineering company BOC has welcomed the Federal Government’s support of its Kwinana air gas liquefaction plant.

Then Prime Minister Julia Gillard and the Minister for Resources and Energy Gary Gray toured the Kwinana facility in June, where official funding of $10 million dollars, across two years, was announced under the Government’s Clean Energy Innovation Program.

The Kwinana plant forms a key milestone in BOC’s $100 million-plus investment strategy for Western Australia. The grant is assisting BOC in the construction of a state-of-the-art air gas liquefaction plant, to replace an existing air separation unit and nitrogen liquefaction unit at its Kwinana site, located approximately 40km south of Perth.

BOC tonnage business director Stephen Sheppard said the funding demonstrated the Government’s commitment to the development of innovative, energy-efficient solutions for Australian industry.

“We would like to thank the Prime Minister Julia Gillard and the Minister for Resources and Energy, Gary Gray, for taking time out of their busy schedules to visit our site and talk with our employees here today,” he said.

“We are very thankful for the government’s significant contribution to this major infrastructure project which will greatly enhance the production of vital gases for industry and healthcare in the West Australian market.”

Mr Sheppard said the innovative design of the facility would increase existing production at the site whilst also demonstrating the company’s efficient cryogenic technology, which has been designed to reduce the plant’s environmental footprint.

“When compared with existing processes, this project is expected to reduce the carbon emissions intensity of our current production by around 50 per cent,” he said.

“The increased output capability will make us self-sufficient in WA, eliminating the need to import product into Perth from our network of plants in the eastern states.”

BOC’s investment strategy for Western Australia has already included another ASU (air separation unit) investment in the Karratha region that commenced operation in 2012, bulk gas storage and distribution facilities to support the LNG mega projects in the North West along with reinvestment in CO2 production, storage and helium filling facilities in the state.

With the latest Kwinana project now well underway, the investment is expected to come on stream in 2014.

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