Press Release

Paris, 6 September 2007 Russia: launch of the Air Liquide Severstal production unit press release

Air Liquide Severstal has just launched the largest gas production unit in Russia. A Contacts: joint venture created in 2005 between Air Liquide and the steel producer Severstal, Air Corporate Communication Liquide Severstal has been set up within the Cherepovets steel complex, in the Dominique Maire Vologda region, situated between Moscow and St Petersburg. +33 (0)1 40 62 53 56 Corinne Estrade-Bordry + 33 (0)1 40 62 51 31 With a daily production capacity of 3,000 tonnes of oxygen, it is the biggest gas unit in Russia and the largest air separation unit in the world dedicated to the steel Investor Relations industry. Virginia Jeanson +33 (0)1 40 62 57 37 Aude Rodriguez Its priority will be to supply the Severstal steel mill with high purity oxygen in addition to +33 (0)1 40 62 57 18 nitrogen and argon and it will also provide liquid oxygen, nitrogen and argon to the

Communication Air Liquide Russia Russian industrial market. Global investment amounts to 100 million. Aliya Urazaeva +7 (495) 641 28 98 ext 133 Designed and assembled at Cherepovets by the Air Liquide Engineering Department with qualified Russian subcontractors, this production unit will allow Severstal to increase Air Liquide Severstal its production of very high quality steel, in particular for the car industry. Created in 2005, ALS is a joint venture in which Air Liquide holds 75% and Severstal Equipped with Air Liquide technology allowing reduced energy consumption, this 25%. It will install and utilize its own air production unit will contribute to the fight against global warming (which Russia separation unit whose priority will be to entered itself into by signing the Kyoto Protocol) by saving 50,000 tonnes of CO2, satisfy the growing oxygen demand of the emissions each year, that is, the equivalent of the total CO2 emissions of a town of Severstal steel producing site at 10,000 inhabitants. To illustrate its involvement in and contribution towards a sustainable Cherepovets (Russia). environment, on the day of the launch, Air Liquide Severstal symbolically planted 100 trees on the Cherepovets site.

Air Liquide in Russia “The start-up of this new air separation unit is a major stage in the development of Air Liquide Russia has been based in our large-scale investment program”, emphasized Anatoly Kruchinin, a member of Moscow since 1989 and was primarily the JSC Severstal Administration Board and Managing Director of the Cherepovets concerned with the sale of industrial gas steelwork company Severstal. “It will allow us to increase our production of steel on production equipment in Russia and this site to 9.5 million tonnes. We are very satisfied with our partnership with Air Ukraine. In 2007 it established the creation Liquide for the construction of a new industrial production unit and we intend to of the production unit at the Knauf Insulation continue it within the framework of our joint venture Air Liquide Severstal”. site, signed an agreement with the semiconductor manufacturer Mikron and announced a 20 million investment in the At the launch of Air Liquide Severstal, Klaus Schmieder, Senior Executive Vice- independent region of Khanty-Mansvisk. President of the Group Air Liquide, declared “We are very happy and very proud of The ambition of Air Liquide Russia is to our partnership with Severstal, one of the world leaders in steel production. The establish itself throughout Russian territory. www.airliquide.com Page 1/2 commissioning of the Air Liquide Severstal production unit allows us to firmly anchor our position in Russia and to accompany an industrial sector that is in full expansion into the future. In accordance with our development strategy in expanding areas showing particular potential, we intend to increase our investment in Russia in the years to come.”

SeverStal is an international steel producer with a listing on the Russian Trading System and the London Stock Exchange. Incorporated in 1993, the company focuses on high value-added and unique niche products and has a successful track record of acquiring and integrating high-quality assets in North America and Europe. SeverStal owns mining assets in Russia, thus securing its supplies of raw materials. In 2006 SeverStal produced 17.6 million tonnes of steel and had revenues of $12.4bn, PBT of $1.8bn and EPS of $1.27 dollars. In Q1 2007 Severstal had revenues of $3,6bn with PBT of $616,1mln and EPS of $0,39 dollars. In July 2007 the company had a market capitalization of $16.1bn. The majority of the company's stock (82.37%) belongs to Alexei Mordashov, with the remaining 17.63% owned by institutional investors and employees. SeverStal’s supervisory board has 10 members, five of whom are independent non-executives including a chairman. The company has recently put in place corporate governance systems which match international standards.

With more than 38,000 employees in 72 countries, Air Liquide is a world leader in industrial and medical gases and related services. The Group offers innovative solutions based on constantly enhanced technologies and produces air gases (oxygen, nitrogen, argon, rare gases…) and many other gases including hydrogen. The Group contributes to the manufacturing of many everyday products: bubbles in sparkling beverages, protective atmosphere for packed foods, oxygen for hospitals and homecare patients, ultra- pure gases for the semiconductor industry, hydrogen to desulfurize fuels...

Air Liquide is committed to sustainable development and helps to protect life. Founded in 1902, Air Liquide has successfully developed a long-term relationship with its shareholders built on trust and transparency and guided by the principles of corporate governance. Since the publication of its first consolidated financial statements in 1971, Air Liquide has posted strong and steady earnings growth. Sales in 2006 totaled 10,949 million euros, with sales outside France accounting for almost 80%. Air Liquide is listed on the Paris stock exchange and is a component of the CAC 40 and Eurostoxx 50 indices (ISIN code FR 0000120073).