GEISMAR - Leading global industrial gas company, Praxair Inc., announced Wednesday an investment in excess of $100 million in its location in Geismar.

The company says they’re putting the cash into expanding its carbon monoxide production with an aim to support the growing customer demand present in the Mississippi River corridor.

Praxair will add a new, 13 million standard cubic feet per day carbon monoxide purification train at the site. According to the company, carbon monoxide is a raw material in the production of a range of specialty chemicals including those used to produce polyurethanes for the housing and auto industries. The upgrades are expected to be completed in the second half of 2018.

“Our investment will result in increased supply for our customers throughout the region as we continue to see the growth of their own production capabilities,” said Dr. Samir Serhan, president, Global Hydrogen at Praxair. “We are committed to serving this accelerating marketplace by expanding our network.”

The Geismar site first produced hydrogen, carbon monoxide and other gas products in the early 1970s. More recently, the facility has been integrated into a 90-mile hydrogen pipeline network that stretches from Baton Rouge to St. Charles. This latest investment further strengthens Praxair’s ability to serve an important and growing region. Currently, the Geismar facility serves more than a dozen customers ranging from word-scale refineries to biofuel companies, according to Praxair.