HAMILTON, Ontario (Feb. 16, 2012)—The Columbian Chemicals division of Birla Carbon is evaluating a possible expansion at its Hamilton carbon black facility.
The company said it will begin the initial permitting processes this quarter along with front-end engineering to confirm the feasibility of new production capacity along with a state-of-the-art energy center.
The first phase of the investment would likely include as estimated 45,000 metric tons of new carbon black production and an energy center designed to leverage efficiencies of the plant to supply electricity for both internal and external uses, the company said.
Columbian said the expansion programs major tire manufacturers have announced for North America would drive expected demand growth for carbon black beyond the current production capacity within the region.
“Birla Carbon is committed to supporting our customers' growth plans,” said John Loudermilk, Columbian president for North America. “The Hamilton plant's outstanding history of producing world-class products, the proximity to our customer base and the excellent talent pool in the Ontario region position us well to provide that support.”