| James Kon |
BRUNEI Oxygen Sdn Bhd (Brunox), a partnership between Air Liquide and QAF Brunei, yesterday launched the first Air Separation Plant in Brunei Darussalam which produces liquid nitrogen, oxygen and argon to cater to local market demand as well as export to neighbouring countries.
Minister of Energy, Manpower and Industry Dato Seri Setia Dr Awang Haji Mat Suny bin Haji Mohd Hussein inaugurated the multi-million-dollar plant in a ribbon-cutting ceremony.
The historical event was witnessed by top government officials, foreign dignitaries and industry leaders including Ambassador of France to Brunei Darussalam Christian Ramage; QAF Group Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Albert Lau, Vice-President Air Liquide Industrial Services Ng Boon Hai, Southeast Asia Chief Executive Officer of Air Liquide Virginie Cavalli, General Manager of Brunox Stephen Supan and Commercial Manager of Air Liquide Singapore Andy Lim.
“This is the illustration of a long and fruitful collaboration with our partner QAF Brunei, with whom we have partnered since 1983,” Virginie Cavalli said at the launching ceremony.
Explaining the process of air separation, she noted that the technique was discovered in 1902 by one of the founders of Air Liquide Group, George Claude, an eccentric researcher. “It took him two years of relentless experimentation in a Paris bus garage to perfect the process of liquefying air. The process is still the same today – of course with a lot of improvement. Here the air is purified and produced through cryogenic distillation.”
Touching on the partnership with QAF Brunei, she said, “QAF Brunei is one of the most established and diversified groups in Brunei Darussalam. Their portfolio of investments includes oil and gas, food and agriculture, print and digital media, automobiles, air-conditioning and real estate development.”
Highlighting the establishment of the plant, she said up until recent years, Brunox was importing gases in liquid form and in cylinders to serve its customers.
“The decision to produce in Brunei was taken in 2015. It became obvious that with local production, we would be in a better position to meet the growing needs of our customers, create more local employment opportunities, enhance local technical competencies and contribute towards the development of Brunei economy.”
The construction of the Air Separation Plant in the Kuala Belait Industrial Complex took a year and a half and was completed in last April.
“In the past years, we were importing a few tonnes of industrial gas daily, and this plant has the capacity to produce 40 tonnes of gas per day to serve the local market. There is definitely a possibility to export the products to neighbouring places like Sabah and Sarawak. We hope to do so next year. We also hope to supply gas for the welding and construction industry in Brunei,” Cavalli told Bulletin in an interview.
The new plant also provides employment opportunities and training to locals. “We have been able to provide employment for locals and increase their competencies. We provide training within the country and overseas for our staff because we are venturing into new fields, and producing and importing are different.”
Meanwhile, Stephen Supan said, “With the new plant, Brunox is ready to support the Brunei market, with its production of liquid nitrogen, oxygen and argon, to meet not only the current but also the future demand.
“In anticipation of growth, storage capacities for nitrogen, oxygen and argon have also been significantly increased. Expertise is critical to support this venture and we are proud that we can rely on a well-trained workforce that is more than 90 per cent local.”
In his concluding remarks, QAF Group Chief Executive Officer Albert Lau said, “Our partnership with Air Liquide has withstood the test of time and together we are honoured to make a contribution to the further development of the gas industry in Brunei and local employment generation.
“It has been a very good partnership that is based on respect, common vision and values,” he added.
Established in 1962, Brunox is the country’s leading supplier of industrial gases. The company serves a wide array of customers including factories, hospitals, laboratories, oil and gas as well as agrifood industries.