On June 30, Kuraray Co., Ltd. announced that it will expand the activated carbon production capacity of its US subsidiary Calgon Carbon Corp. The new production line will be added to its subsidiary's Pearl River plant in Mississippi, with an annual capacity of 25,000 tons of activated carbon. This new plan requires US$185 million in capital investment and is expected to be completed by the end of 2022.
In order to improve the environmental applications of activated carbon in air and water purification, the demand for this material in the United States continues to grow as a material for removing pollutants from drinking water. Calgon Carbon Corp. is currently the world's largest producer of activated carbon. Through this latest expansion plan, the company hopes to further increase its cost-competitive production of coal-based activated carbon.
This is also part of Kuraray's continuous efforts to expand its business globally (especially in Europe and the United States). So far, Calgon Carbon Corp. has an annual production capacity of 74,000 tons of coal-based activated carbon and 10,000 tons of wood-based activated carbon. Although the company did not disclose its ability to recycle activated carbon, Kuraray claims that it is also the world's leading producer in this field.
Kuraray also has its own activated carbon business, which focuses on manufacturing high-performance products using coconut shells. The company produces 31,000 tons of activated carbon annually in its factories in Japan and the Philippines.
Looking ahead, Kuraray and Calgon Carbon Corp. will integrate processes in the activated carbon business to integrate their respective technology and application development capabilities. One of the goals here is to jointly develop materials for automotive applications, such as carbon canisters and air filters. More broadly, the two companies hope this integration will improve their ability to sell activated carbon globally to solve environmental problems.