Birla to build two new carbon black plants in Asia

Mumbai, India – Birla Carbon is expanding its carbon black production capacity with the construction of two greenfield manufacturing sites in Asia.

The new facilities will be based in Niadupet, Andhra Pradesh, India, and Rayong, Thailand, the Indian supplier announced 22 Jan.

The units will each have an initial capacity to produce 120 kilotonnes per annum (ktpa) of carbon black and are set to be operational in 2025.

Birla said it plans to double the output of each plant to 240ktpa "in the future".

The carbon black manufacturer did not provide the financial details of the projects or the grades of carbon black to be produced at the sites.

“These two new greenfield sites will be prioritised based on their locations, demand dynamics in the region, and specific customer needs,” said Birla.

Birla’s previously announced brownfield expansion plans in Hungary, as well as a speciality expansion in Patalganga, India, “are progressing on plan”, the company added.

The two new facilities are intended to support “key customers in the fast-growing markets of India and Southeast Asia,” said John Loudermilk, president and CEO, Birla Carbon.

Birla said it will focus on the completion of its expansion initiatives while it continues to evaluate additional capacity requirements in various geographies.