Linde, the global industrial gases and engineering company, is investing more than $400 million to build an air separation unit, or ASU, in Ascension Parish, Louisiana Economic Development announced Monday morning.
The ASU will be built in Donaldsonville’s 17,000-acre RiverPlex MegaPark. The unit will supply oxygen and nitrogen essential to low-carbon ammonia production at Blue Point Number One, a joint venture between CF Industries, JERA and Mitsui & Co. planned for the same site. The $4 billion Blue Point facility is poised to become the world’s largest low-carbon ammonia plant.
Linde’s ASU is expected to create 15 direct new jobs with average salaries “more than 45% above the parish average wage,” LED says. Construction is set to begin in 2026, and the unit is expected to begin operations in 2029.
Also under development in the RiverPlex MegaPark is South Korean automaker Hyundai’s $5.8 billion steel plant. The Hyundai plant, the Blue Point facility and Linde’s ASU together represent growing momentum for the sprawling site on the west bank of the Mississippi River.
“This latest investment marks a powerful affirmation of the RiverPlex MegaPark’s industrial future,” a statement from Ascension Parish President Clint Cointment reads. “With three major announcements in just four months, we’re witnessing a commitment to revitalize a rural area that’s long been overlooked. … This is just the beginning.”
The state offered Linde a “competitive” incentives package to land the ASU project, according to LED. Linde is also expected to participate in the state’s Industrial Tax Exemption and Quality Jobs programs.
Linde is already a big player in Louisiana. The company currently has facilities in Geismar, Lake Charles, Sulphur, Vidalia and St. Charles Parish and operates an extensive pipeline network in the southern part of the state.
