NovaAir Industrial Gases has inaugurated a 300-ton-per-day liquid air separation unit at UMW High-Value Manufacturing Park in Greater Kuala Lumpur, Chemical Engineering reported. The Malaysian subsidiary of Shanghai-based Yingde Gases is targeting capacity utilisation above 90% within two years as it builds its domestic industrial gas business. The report gives August 2026 as the facility’s commissioning date.
The Kuala Lumpur plant produces oxygen, nitrogen, argon and high-purity oxygen for customers across chemicals, electrical and electronics, oil and gas, food processing, steelmaking and new-energy lithium battery production. Its air separation technology was developed and manufactured internally by Yingde Engineering, the group’s Hangzhou-based engineering subsidiary. According to the report, artificial intelligence-based controls are intended to improve energy efficiency and lower the plant’s carbon footprint.
The new facility adds to NovaAir’s operations at the Malaysia-China Kuantan Industrial Park, where it runs three on-site air separation units, each rated at 20,000 normal cubic metres per hour, for Alliance Steel. Chemical Engineering described that installation as Yingde Gases’ largest overseas on-site air separation complex to date. It supplies high-purity oxygen, nitrogen and argon for the steelmaker’s operations and expansion plans. The Alliance Steel facility holds ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and Halal certifications.
Malaysian Investment Development Authority chief executive Datuk Sikh Shamsul Ibrahim Sikh Abdul Majid linked the investment to the country’s NIMP 2030 and Chemical Industry Roadmap 2030 objectives. He said industrial gas supply underpins higher-value manufacturing, stronger domestic supply chains and skilled employment. NovaAir general manager Charlene Quek said Malaysia hosts Yingde Gases’ first regional headquarters outside China, presenting the Kuala Lumpur and Alliance Steel projects as evidence of its long-term commitment to the market.
Over the next three to five years, Yingde Gases plans further investment in Malaysia, with the aim of placing NovaAir among the country’s three largest industrial gas suppliers. From its Malaysian regional headquarters, NovaAir also intends to explore opportunities in Thailand, Vietnam and Indonesia, while maintaining a focus on operating efficiency, sustainability and local workforce development.