April 16 (Reuters) - Air Liquide AIRP.PA said on Thursday it would invest 200 million euros ($236 million) in Japan to build, own and operate two new industrial gas production units in Hiroshima, under a long-term agreement with a global semiconductor leader expanding its advanced chip manufacturing capacity.
The French industrial gases group said the plants, due to start up by the end of 2028, would supply large volumes of ultra-high-purity nitrogen, oxygen and argon used in the production of next-generation chips for artificial intelligence applications.
Air Liquide, which has operated in Japan for more than a century, said the investment would strengthen its position in the country's semiconductor industry and help support rising global demand for advanced chips.
($1 = 0.8477 euros)
(Reporting by Olivier Cherfan in Gdansk, editing by Milla Nissi-Prussak)
((olivier.Cherfan@thomsonreuters.com;))
