Tata Steel has signed a 20-year operations and maintenance (O&M) contract with Air Water India (AWIPL) for its air separation unit (ASU) located in Jamshedpur, Jharkhand.

The ASU, currently under stabilisation and set for handover to AWIPL next month, is designed to produce 1,800 tonne of oxygen daily, along with nitrogen, argon, and dry compressed air. These industrial gases will support Tata Steel's blast furnaces and steel melting shops. The contract was signed by Peeyush Gupta, VP at Tata Steel, and Kausik Mukhopadhyay, MD at AWIPL.

Tata Steel aims to benefit from AWIPL’s global cryogenic expertise and advanced remote operations, particularly insights from their Japanese plants, to boost efficiency and long-term plant performance. The strategic partnership highlights Tata Steel’s focus on operational excellence and technology-driven process optimisation.