Phillips Carbon adds 50ktpa capacity, more to follow

Kolkata, India – Phillips Carbon Black Ltd (PCBL) has commissioned a 56 kilotonne-per-annum (ktpa) expansion at its Mundra site in eastern India earlier this month.

PCBI is also adding 30ktpa of new capacity at its nearby carbon black facility in Palej, Gujarat, the company added in a 16 Jan update to investors.

The new project is expected to come on stream in the third quarter of financial year 2020 (starting April 2019), said India’s largest carbon black manufacturer.

PCBL also intends to expand its portfolio of “high-performance high-margin” grades for both rubber and speciality black applications.

To that end, the company has opened a new R&D centre at its Palej production unit to add new grades and improve manufacturing efficiency.

Last May, PCBL announced plans to invest around €50 million in a series of expansions at existing sites, and plans for a 150ktpa greenfield unit in Chennai, Tamilnadu.