Speedy Hire, the U.K.’s largest tool and equipment rental company has invested £3 million (about U.S. $4.9 million) in a fleet of nitrogen generation units, which provide an oxygen-free atmosphere for use in projects that carry the risk of explosion.

The advanced units extract all other gases from the air to deliver a mixture that is 95 to 99 percent nitrogen, which is needed in a wide range of applications such as drilling, mining and power generation.

The investment makes Speedy one of the first rental companies in the U.K. to offer high-pressure nitrogen membrane units for rental.

By extracting nitrogen from the air onsite, the units remove the need for nitrogen to be supplied in very low temperature liquid form, potentially saving thousands of pounds per week. Several of the largest oilfield service companies in the world are now using nitrogen generators supplied by Speedy, with units currently operating in Asia, Africa and Europe.

“These generators provide a service that is essential to many operations at a fraction of the cost of liquid nitrogen,” said Brian Cornett, managing director of Speedy’s power division. “This investment makes Speedy one of only a handful of hire firms to offer these units, giving us a real advantage in consolidating our client base within the oil, gas, power generation and utilities sectors.”

Speedy, based in Newton-le-Willows, Merseyside, England, has more than 400 branches throughout the U.K. and Ireland.