AFROX HELPS XSTRATA ALLOYS TO REDUCE EMISSIONS AND INCREASE PRODUCTIVITY AT ITS LYDENBURG

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AFROX HELPS XSTRATA ALLOYS TO REDUCE EMISSIONS AND INCREASE PRODUCTIVITY AT ITS LYDENBURG
11 September 2006 - BOC Gases

Xstrata Alloys, a major ferrochrome alloy producer, has awarded a multimillion dollar contract to African Oxygen Limited, a subsidiary of BOC, one of the world's largest industrial gases companies for the supply of gaseous oxygen. The oxygen will help Xstrata increase production efficiencies at its ferrochrome plant at Lydenburg, Mpumalanga Province, South Africa, in order to meet its long-term growth projections.

Afrox currently supplies Xstrata with liquid oxygen, which is trucked to the Lydenburg site. Under the new, long-term agreement, Afrox will install a high-efficiency air separation unit at Xstrata's plant. Production is expected to begin in the first quarter of 2007. "Installing the oxygen plant at Xstrata will allow Afrox to meet the customer’s increased capacity requirements, while freeing up liquid oxygen product for use within the Gauteng region of South Africa," said Giles Parker, Afrox’s merchant sales director.

Willie Botha, general works manager at Xstrata, Lydenburg, said, "The use of oxygen in the rotary kilns helps to improve process efficiencies and achieve fuel energy savings, while reducing carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide emissions. We have worked collaboratively with Afrox over the past few years to improve our processes and reduce operating costs through the use of gases, which has resulted in improved plant throughput."

Says Richard Crosby, Afrox’s sales manager for metals in South Africa, "This long-term investment demonstrates BOC’s commitment to investing in South Africa through Afrox and in other locations where Xstrata operates. BOC's worldwide operational strength, combined with Afrox’s strong regional presence, offers Xstrata a reliable gas supply through highly developed plants and merchant support infrastructure in Southern Africa."

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About: BOC Gases
Through its PGS line of business, BOC supplies gas and related solutions to the chemicals, petroleum, glass, water services, electronic packaging, fibre optics, hydrogen energy, metals and food industries. BOC helps meet customer needs in a variety of ways, from the supply of a single gas or application through to designing, constructing and operating fully integrated gas and utilities schemes.

The BOC Group, which serves two million customers in more than 50 countries, is one of the largest and most global of the world's leading gases companies. It employs some 44,500 people worldwide and had annual sales of over £4.3 billion in 2003. Further information about The BOC Group may be obtained on the Internet at www.boc.com

The BOC Group has an international portfolio of companies grouped for management control and reporting into three lines of business: Process Gas Solutions, Industrial and Special Products, and BOC Edwards. It also has a specialist logistics business, Gist.

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