India’s Birla Carbon, a unit of Indian multinational company Aditya Birla Group, is investing US$1 billion to construct a plant in South Carolina, US, to produce graphite anode materials, according to a statement by state Governor Henry McMaster.
“Birla Carbon’s substantial US$1 billion investment and the 124 new jobs it will create will have a transformative impact in Orangeburg County, and we look forward to the company’s success in our state,” he added.
The company will build a 435,000-sq-ft facility in Orangeburg County to launch next-generation synthetic graphite production operations. The plant will produce anode active materials for battery production. The initial phase is expected to produce 25,000 tonnes/year of synthetic graphite to meet projected demand from the electric vehicle, energy storage and defence industries.
“Birla Carbon is excited to join the state of South Carolina in making this significant investment that will contribute to the growth of this critical industry domestically,” said John Loudermilk, Birla Carbon President/CEO. “As a global leader in our industry, we are constantly looking for opportunities to collaborate with like-minded partners that make a real difference. This plant is an investment in the future as the demand for electric vehicles and energy storage markets will only grow.”
Birla Carbon, a flagship division under one of India’s largest conglomerates, supplies carbon black to enhance products like paints, coatings, inks, toners, plastics, adhesives, sealants, textile fibres, mechanical rubber goods and tyres.