Birla Carbon to build $1bn synthetic graphite plant in US

Columbia, South Carolina - Birla Carbon is investing $1 billion (€920,000) in a new production facility in Orangeburg, South Carolina, the local government has announced.

The investment will see the Indian carbon black maker constructing a 40,000 sqm plant at the Tri-County Industrial Site in Orangeburg for the continuous production of “next-generation synthetic graphite,” the South Carolina government said 8 Oct.

Set for operation in 2026, the facility is expected to supply anode active materials “enough to support more than 40-gigawatt hours (GWh) battery plants.”

The initial phase will produce 25 kilotonnes of synthetic graphite annually to meet the projected demand for the electric vehicle, energy storage and defence markets.

The unit is expected to employ 124 people, who will be trained by Birla.

“This plant is an investment in the future as the demand for electric vehicles and energy storage markets only grow,” said Birla Carbon president and CEO John Loudermilk.

The investment, he added, will “create value and drive positive change” especially for customers and the communities in which Birla operates.