BOC, owned by the world’s largest industrial gas supplier Linde, sees the investment securing the supply of critical gases for healthcare, food production, manufacturing and high-tech and aerospace industries.
Construction is due to start this year on the new air separation unit with capacity to produce up to 30 tonnes of liquid oxygen and liquid nitrogen per day.
BOC supplies compressed and bulk gases, chemicals and equipment throughout New Zealand and the Pacific Islands.
The Christchurch plant would tie in with its Glenbrook facility in the North Island producing most of the country’s medical oxygen.
Linde New Zealand and Pacific Islands director Cory Spence said the new unit showed BOC’s confidence in New Zealand’s economic outlook, regulatory environment and customer commitment.
He said it would reduce the reliance on long-distance transport for industrial gases used for healthcare, food production and industrial production.
Diversifying production from the Glenbrook plant was expected to eliminate up to 1000 inter-island tanker shipments each year, reduce transport emissions and long-distance transport risks.
Mr Spence said the building project would create local jobs and help the local economy.
Minister for the South Island James Meager attended the function announcing the new facility.
The multimillion-dollar investment was a major vote of confidence in Christchurch and the wider South Island economy, he said.
‘‘It will strengthen the supply of essential gases that underpin healthcare and manufacturing, while also creating jobs during construction and supporting future growth in advanced industries.’’
The new unit will go into BOC’s Sockburn site, its major storage, redistribution and logistics hub for the South Island.
A quarter of its South Island workforce is based at the site which has bulk, cryogenic and cylinder filling operations.
The unit is expected to be operational next year.
