Nikkiso to expand medical oxygen output with four ASUs in Africa
Nikkiso Clean Energy & Industrial Gases Group will install four air separation units (ASUs) in Kenya and Tanzania to increase production of medical oxygen as part of a regional health initiative with healthcare organisation Unitaid, which estimates the plants could save up to 154,000 lives.
The pre-assembled modular plants, known as Cosmodyne Spruce ASUs, can be transported in containers and connected on-site, making them cost-effective solutions for remote islands and low-and-middle-income countries (LMICs).
“Our ASUs are renowned for their flexibility and reliability, and we are honoured that four of these units will now be used to help save lives in East Africa,” said Adrian Ridge, CEO at Nikkiso CE&IG.
High-purity liquefied oxygen (LOX) will be produced in the Kenyan cities of Mombasa and Nairobi, in addition to Dar es Salaam in Tanzania. The LOX will then be stored in tanks before being sent to medical facilities to be vaporised into gaseous oxygen and delivered to patients.
Speaking at a ceremony for the new facility in Dar es Salaam, Tanzanian Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa said, “Expanding local oxygen production is a crucial step toward ensuring no patient goes without these lifesaving resources.”
“This investment enhances our ability to meet growing demand, making our supply more self-sufficient and reducing reliance on external sources,” he added.
According to the World Health Organisation, around 15 million people across the continent require oxygen annually, yet persistent infrastructure gaps mean an estimated 500,000 deaths could be attributed each year due to its lack.
Unitaid has already supported the installation of ASUs in countries including Senegal and Malawi as part of its broader strategy to expand access to oxygen in LMICs.
“We are building a long-term solution to save lives, strengthen local economies, and provide a model for scalable innovation in global health,” said Dr Philippe Duneton, Executive Director of Unitaid.
