India-based tyre maker Balkrishna Industries Limited (BKT) will build a new plant for the production of carbon black. This facility will stretch over approximately 8 ha within the BKT production site at Bhuj, in the Indian state of Gujarat. The production is forecasted at 60,000 tonnes/year.
A US$23-million investment has been earmarked for BKT’s backward integration project within its supply chain. As a matter of fact, the new plant will continuously provide raw material for the increasing tyre production, says the off-the-road (OTR) tyre manufacturer.
The carbon black plant is another step forward in the company’s middle-and-long-term strategy, which started with setting up the Bhuj site. Inaugurated in 2015, extending over an area of 120 ha, and having had a cost of US$500 million, Bhuj boasts state-of-the-art production facilities and machinery. It is located in a strategic position in proximity to the commercial port of Mundra, which has already been an important logistic hub for BKT’s exports.
The Bhuj site was established for the purpose of meeting the more and more increasing demand for tyres on a global scale. The new carbon black plant will further support BKT’s ability to invariably satisfy this demand, the company says.
This plant will enable the company to even better ensure raw material qualities thanks to the now even more accurate controls at the beginning of the entire manufacturing process.