Air Liquide has announced a USD 235.6 million investment in Japan to construct two industrial gas production facilities in Hiroshima, entered into under a new long-term agreement with a global leader in the semiconductor industry.

The French industrial gas group will build, own, and operate the units, which are designed to supply the ultra-pure gases required for manufacturing advanced chips central to artificial intelligence technologies.

Facilities Targeted for Operations by End of 2028

The two state-of-the-art production units are scheduled to begin operations by the end of 2028. Once online, the facilities will deliver large volumes of ultra-pure nitrogen, oxygen, and argon to support the production of advanced semiconductor chips.

Air Liquide described ultra-high purity gases as essential to ensuring cleanliness and reliability throughout the semiconductor manufacturing process, enabling manufacturers to meet the industry's most stringent standards.

The investment is structured to support what Air Liquide characterized as a major expansion by a global semiconductor industry leader. The company did not name the semiconductor manufacturer in its announcement.

Deepening a Four-Decade Relationship with Japan's Semiconductor Sector

Air Liquide has supplied the Japanese semiconductor industry for over 40 years and currently operates 78 facilities in Japan dedicated to electronics activities.

Among those is an Advanced Materials Center located in Tsukuba. The group also maintains an Innovation Campus Tokyo, inaugurated in 2019, whose primary mission is to identify promising molecules for use in the manufacture of next-generation chips.

Air Liquide's broader history in Japan stretches back to 1907, giving the company a presence in the country spanning more than a century.

The group employs approximately 2,000 people in Japan, who it said supply key molecules to companies in electronics and other industrial fields, working alongside clients on problem-solving and joint research.

Japan's Role in the Global Semiconductor Landscape

Ronnie Chalmers, Air Liquide Group Vice President responsible for supervising operations in Asia-Pacific, said the new facility reflects the company's capacity to keep pace with its semiconductor customers' rapid expansion.

"Japan has been a powerhouse in the semiconductor industry since the 1980s and remains a global technology leader today," Chalmers said. "Across the country, our experts deliver the high-tech solutions essential to meet the most rigorous standards of our customers in terms of quality, safety, and reliability."

Air Liquide said the investment reinforces its position as a leading partner to the semiconductor industry in Japan and more broadly across Asia.

The company framed its role in supplying industrial gases to chipmakers as making it a key enabler of the AI revolution, pointing to the growing demand for advanced chips that fuel artificial intelligence technologies.

Strategic Context Within Air Liquide's Electronics Business

The Hiroshima investment represents a continued build-out of Air Liquide's electronics infrastructure in a country where it has maintained a significant industrial footprint for decades.

The group said it combines cutting-edge industrial solutions with long-lasting customer relationships to help leading semiconductor manufacturers accelerate their capacity expansions.

The announcement, made from Paris on April 16, 2026, positions the Hiroshima facilities as part of Air Liquide's broader strategy to meet the growing needs of the global semiconductor industry at a time when demand for AI-capable chips is driving substantial capital investment across the sector.

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