Artificial intelligence has become a key driver of productivity at Linde, accounting for roughly a third of its efficiency gains in the first quarter of 2025.
Speaking on the company’s Q1 earnings call, CEO Sanjiv Lamba said that Linde had completed over 4,000 targeted efficiency projects in the first three months of the year, with around 32% of improvements delivered tied to AI and to digital more widely.
“Last year, we did 15,515 [productivity] projects,” said Lamba. “This year, in the first quarter, we’ve done more than 4,000. It takes every part of the organisation to … make sure [it] gets executed.”
Having launched its first AI pilot project in 2016, Linde is now embedding the intelligence across its operations. One of the most impactful applications is a real-time power optimisation model used in its energy-intensive air separation units, which predicts customer demand, tank levels, and electricity prices to optimise power use.
Linde has also developed its AllPlantControl system, an AI-based platform that uses reinforcement learning to fine-tune plant parameters such as valve positions and compressor loads, improving both energy efficiency and process stability.
In logistics, the company is deploying telemetry and machine learning to predict when customer tanks will need refilling, helping to streamline delivery routes and reduce costs. It is also expanding its use of digital twins (virtual models of real assets) to simulate plant operations, test efficiency strategies, and prevent downtime.
In total, 105 AI models are now being used or rolled out across the business.
“AI is a rapidly evolving technology and will be an important driver for productivity and growth in the coming years,” Lamba told gasworld last year. “Linde’s global AI team is focused on developing high-value transformative AI use cases and scaling them to our business.”
However, he recognises that making efficiency gains is a company-wide effort. “There is no one silver bullet and we are grateful for that, because we want every part of our business engaged in productivity effort every day.”
Linde has stated that pricing, cost reduction, and process optimisation have historically contributed around two-thirds of its earnings per share growth over the past two to three decades.
