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On August 24, US-headquartered industrial gas supplier Air Products announced that it has signed a long-term contract to supply oxygen, nitrogen and argon to ArcelorMittal Belgium N.V., a subsidiary of world's largest steelmaker ArcelorMittal S.A., at its steel mill in Gent, Belgium. 
 
As part of the agreement, Air Products will build, own, operate and maintain a third on-site air separation unit (ASU) at the Gent site to supply ArcelorMittal with its industrial gas requirements. Scheduled to come on stream in 2012, the ASU will have a total production capacity of approximately 2,000 metric tons per day. 
 
Commenting on the issue, ArcelorMittal Gent's CEO  Marc Vereecke  said, "This investment is based on the need of industrial gases first of all to replace the capacity of ASU1, which will be closed in Terneuzen...The two existing Air Products air separation units at the Gent site will continue supplying ArcelorMittal with their current oxygen, nitrogen and argon requirements at their existing operations."