Air Liquide China Tops the 2015 “GoldenBee CSR China Honor Roll”

SHANGHAI, June 12, 2016 /PRNewswire/ — On June 7, Air Liquide China won the "Leading Enterprise" award in the 2015 "GoldenBee CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) China Honor Roll" announced at the 11th International CSR forum in Beijing.

Organized by China WTO Tribune Magazine supervised by the Ministry of Commerce, the "GoldenBee CSR China Honor Roll" aims to commend the exemplary enterprises that have made outstanding contributions to the sustainable development of China, and is one of the most authoritative CSR awards in China.

Over 360 organizations submitted their CSR cases, and only 59 stood out after the six-month-long comprehensive case study and evaluation by the organizing committee. Air Liquide's innovative Nexelia Oxy-combustion solution is one of the top eight cases to be granted the "Leading Enterprise" award.

Energy efficiency and emission reduction are critical for the glass and metal industries which require a significant amount of energy to be consumed in order to achieve the very high temperatures needed for glass/metal melting. Air Liquide's Nexelia Oxy-combustion solution is based on the enrichment or substitution of air with pure oxygen. It is widely used to improve combustion processes, reduce air pollutant emissions and save fuel. For instance, last year, the technology enabled a customer in non-ferrous metal recycling industry in China to save 68% energy consumption and reduce CO2 emissions by over 15,000 tons.

Yan Jinping, Chief Operating Officer, Air Liquide China, commented: "As a responsible corporate citizen, Air Liquide China advocates an environment-friendly mindset through our innovative products and solutions besides CSR initiatives. The award well acknowledges our contributions in this respect, and encourages us to continue devoting to the sustainable development of the society."

One illustration of Air Liquide's never-ending pursuit of eco-friendly solutions is its recently introduced Heat Oxy-Combustion technology — an upgrade of the Oxy-combustion technology. It recycles heat contained in the combustion fumes to heat oxygen and fuel, hence improving the oxy-combustion performance by 10%. Compared to standard air combustion processes, this technology provides up to 50% energy savings and up to 50% CO2 emission reduction. This technology won the Innovative Product Award presented by the France-China Committee during 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP21) in France last December.

About Air Liquide China

Air Liquide in China operates nearly 90 plants and employs about 4,500 employees today, with a strong presence in the key coastal industrial areas, and is expanding into the center, south and west. Its main business activities include industrial and medical gas operations, as well as Engineering & Construction (designing, manufacturing and installing air separation units/hydrogen facilities).

About Air Liquide

The world leader in gases, technologies and services for Industry and Health, Air Liquide is present in 80 countries with approximately 68,000 employees and serves more than 3 million customers and patients.* Oxygen, nitrogen and hydrogen have been at the core of the company's activities since its creation in 1902. Air Liquide's ambition is to be the leader in its industry, delivering long-term performance and acting responsibly.

Air Liquide ideas create value over the long term. At the core of the company's development are the commitment and constant inventiveness of its people.

Air Liquide anticipates the challenges of its markets, invests locally and globally, and delivers high-quality solutions to its customers and patients, and the scientific community.

The company relies on competitiveness in its operations, targeted investments in growing markets and innovation to deliver profitable growth over the long-term.

Air Liquide's revenues amounted to EUR16.4 billion in 2015, and its solutions that protect life and the environment represented more than 40% of sales. On 23 May 2016, Air Liquide completed its acquisition of Airgas, which had revenues amounting to $5.3 billion (around EUR4.8 billion) for the fiscal year ending 31 March 2016.

Air Liquide is listed on the Paris Euronext stock exchange (compartment A) and is a member of the CAC 40 and Dow Jones Euro Stoxx 50 indexes.

*Following the acquisition of Airgas on 23 May 2016

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