September

ASCO New Zealand becomes part of the “Messer World”

With effect from 1 September 2008, both parts of ASCO, the technology leader in CO2 production and dry ice blasting systems, were reunited and incorporated into the Messer group of companies. In July 2008, Messer had signed a purchase agreement through ASCO Kohlensäure AG to acquire a majority stake of 51 per cent in ASCO Carbon Dioxide Ltd., ASCO’s New Zealand operation. Messer had already acquired the majority stake in ASCO Kohlensäure AG from Thomas Trachsel via its Swiss subsidiary Messer Schweiz AG in the middle of 2007. ASCO Kohlensäure AG is based in Romanshorn, Switzerland.

Largest air separator in Spain

Messer Ibérica de Gases S.A.’s new air separation plant in El Morell, Spain, went into operation in September 2008. The plant has an hourly production capacity of 16,000 standard cubic metres of gaseous oxygen, 30,000 standard cubic metres of gaseous nitrogen and 580 standard cubic metres of liquid argon.It supplies chemical and petrochemical customers such as BASF, Bayer, Celanese, DOW and Repsol in the Tarragona industrial area, the fifth largest industrial complex in Europe. These major customers are supplied via the Messer Group’s longest pipeline network with a total of 90 kilometres of pipelines.
Messer has invested more than 40 million euros in the construction of the new plant.

Messer Industriegase certified in Germany

The DQS certification body awarded the coveted DIN EN ISO 9001 und 14001 certifications to our Sulzbach and Siegen locations in September 2008. It also audited the new filling plant in Siegen. The auditor was particularly impressed by the electronic manual, in which all the relevant documents are linked and the work processes are explained in a clear and comprehensible way.