Nikkiso to supply life-saving oxygen plants in East Africa

Nikkiso Clean Energy & Industrial Gases Group (Nikkiso CE&IG Group) has announced today that it will partner with international healthcare organization Unitaid to supply medical oxygen production plants as part of a regional health initiative in East Africa. 

Nikkiso CE&IG will install four Cosmodyne Spruce air separation units in Kenya and Tanzania to expand local oxygen production in an initiative Unitaid estimates has the potential to save up 154,000 lives. 

The Spruce air separation units feature a modular construction in which most of the equipment is engineered, fabricated and assembled at Nikkiso CE&IG’s engineering and fabrication centers, transported in a small number of containers, and connected on-site. As a result, the Spruce plants – which can produce either liquid oxygen or liquid nitrogen – are easy and cost-effective to ship and install in remote islands and low-and middle-income countries, with readily-available parts to ensure reliable operation. 

Adrian Ridge, Chief Executive Officer at Nikkiso CE&IG, said: “Our air separation units are renowned for their flexibility and reliability, and we are honored that four of these units will now be used to help save lives in East Africa. 

“Nikkiso has a long-standing record of supplying both medical equipment and providing solutions in the supply of industrial gases – we are proud to see this expertise come together in support of Unitaid’s project.” 

The air separation units in Mombasa and Nairobi in Kenya and Dar es Salaam in Tanzania will produce high-purity liquefied oxygen, which will then be stored in large tanks before it is sent to medical facilities to be vaporized into gaseous oxygen and piped to patients’ bedsides at the required concentration. Medical oxygen is critical for surgery, emergency care, and the treatment of severe respiratory conditions, yet remains in dangerously short supply across much of sub-Saharan Africa. By installing the units in Kenya and Tanzania, Unitaid aims to boost production capacity, lower costs, and improve access to lifesaving oxygen in East Africa. 

At a groundbreaking ceremony for the new facility in Dar es Salaam, Tanzanian Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa said: “Expanding local oxygen production is a crucial step toward ensuring no patient goes without this lifesaving resource. 

“This investment enhances our ability to meet growing demand, making our supply more self-sufficient and reducing reliance on external sources. Now more than ever, building long-term capacity within our region is essential.” 

Dr Philippe Duneton, Executive Director of Unitaid, said: “By empowering regional manufacturers to operate and manage advanced liquid oxygen facilities, we are not only addressing an immediate health need but also creating a sustainable market that will increase regional self-reliance. 

“Together, with the governments of Kenya and Tanzania, partners like Nikkiso, and Kenyan and Tanzanian manufacturers, we are building a long-term solution that will save lives, strengthen local economies, and provide a model for scalable innovation in global health.”