Governor of Hunan Province Meets With CEO of China Messer

On July 20, 2022, Mao Weiming, Deputy Secretary of the CPC Hunan Provincial Committee and Governor of Hunan Province, met with Dr. Werner Hickel, Chief Executive Officer of Messer China and ASEAN. The two sides held in-depth discussions on Messer’s industrial gas business development in Hunan and the local business environment.

Governor Mao welcomed Messer’s expansion of cooperation in Hunan, encouraged the company to strengthen technological innovation, and enhance safety and environmental performance. He expressed hope that both parties would deepen collaboration across the industrial gas sector, pursue high-quality development, and participate more extensively in Hunan’s industrial transformation and upgrading.

Dr. Hickel thanked the Hunan Provincial Government for its long-term support, noting that Hunan offers strong advantages in industrial gases, hydrogen energy utilization, and other emerging sectors, as well as in technological R&D, talent, and market potential. He emphasized Messer’s commitment to further increasing investment in Hunan. Over the next three years, Messer plans to invest more than RMB 1 billion in Hunan, in cooperation with local partners in the energy and environmental sectors, to meet the growing needs of customers and residents.

Messer is the world’s largest privately managed specialist for industrial, medical, and specialty gases. Since entering Hunan in 1998, the company has established a strong presence in Changsha, Xiangtan, and Hengyang, operating seven plants in total. Its liquefied gas production capacity in Hunan is expected to exceed 2,500 tons per day by 2023, making it a market leader in the province’s industrial gas sector. In 2021, Messer’s sales in Hunan exceeded RMB 1.4 billion.