Industrial gas firm to develop new products for RP market

With its aim of shaping the future of the gas industry in the Philippines, the Linde Group, a Germany-based gases and engineering company is eyeing further growth in the Philippines through introducing new products and technologies in the market.

The Linde Group operates two affiliates in the country: Southern Industrial Gases (SIG) which serves its Visayas and Mindanao market and the Consolidated Industrial Gas, Inc. (CIGI) which serves its Luzon market.

Currently, Linde Group is already serving diversified industries such as shipbuilding, healthcare, food industry, electronics, and semiconductors, among others as they produce and distribute compressed industrial gases such as oxygen, nitrogen, argon, carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, acetylene and special gases, as well as welding equipment and safety products.

But according to its managing director Dennis Jordan aside from these products they are also developing more innovative technologies that could enhance the capabilities of the country’s major industries such as the local food processing and packaging industry.

When CIGI and SIG became part of the Linde Group in 2006, they have gained access to global technologies in food freezing and cooling which included design and supply of tunnel and spiral freezers, refrigerants like liquid nitrogen and carbon dioxide, food grade gases, pipeline systems, gas mixing panels and other equipment.

Last year, they developed a Cryoline tunnel freezer, a multi-purpose, cryogenic freezer which can be used for meat patties and pieces, whole fish and fillets, various kinds of seafood, ready meals and convenience foods, fruits and vegetables as well as dairy and bakery products.

Jordan said that Linde’s investments in the Philippine market exemplify their support to the development of the gases industry by bridging the requirements of the local market.

Just recently, the Linde group ground broke SIG’s one billion air separation unit (ASU) facility in Balamban and Jordan said that this investment is eyed to increase their capabilities in supplying the needs of their existing clients as well as in serving new markets.

SIG was the first to supply liquid oxygen in major hospitals in the Visayas and Mindanao and it was also the first to innovate argon compression in Southern Philippines.

Jordan said that they will continue to drive towards providing the market with new innovations and in the first quarter of next year they will be introducing a new packaging for their products.

Alex Coo, CIGI’s strategic marketing manager said that with their increased capabilities brought about by their new facility, they will be looking at growth areas and one of which is the food industry.

He said that although the technology is still new in the Philippines, they are eyeing a huge growth potential in supplying liquid nitrogen which could be used in freezing high value seafood to the exporters.

Coo said that since the Philippines has huge aquatic resources, there is a big potential market in stored for this kind of technology.

“The technology employed here in the Philippines is far behind compared to our neighboring countries so we will be developing liquid nitrogen in the future. We will pursue and develop new grounds and market to expand Linde Group’s operation here in the Philippines,” he said.

However, Coo stressed that the success of these new applications and technology will depend upon the readiness of the market.

He said that they will continue providing scheme solutions and packaging innovations as well as heightened their quality of standard emphasizing on safety as industry leaders.