MUMBAI, India—Indian coal tar derivatives producer Epsilon Carbon Private Ltd. (ECPL) has commissioned an integrated carbon black manufacturing complex located in Bellary, Karnataka, southern India.
The $73 million plant has a production capacity of 115,000 metric tons per year and is already running close to full capacity, Epsilon said in a July 7 statement.
The facility was started up in January and produces both tread and carcass grades of carbon blacks for tires, as well as grades for non-tire rubber and plastics applications.
The backwardly integrated plant uses the anthracene oil generated at ECPL's 220,000-ton coal tar distillation facility as a clean feedstock.
ECPL expects the security of raw materials and consistency in feedstock quality will help it produce consistent quality carbon black for tire and rubber goods applications.
The company has earmarked $47 million more to expand its coal tar distillation capacity by 65,000 tons per year and carbon black production by 185,000 tons per year in the coming years.
Described as first-of-its-kind in India, the integrated carbon facility uses waste coke oven gas from the steel plant as a fuel. In return, the tail-gas from the carbon black unit is fed back to the steel complex for pre-heating operations.
Compared to other plants, which typically use high sulphur feedstock of around 3 percent, Epsilon said the unit uses captive low-sulphur feedstock of 0.3-0.5 percent.
The environmental features set a new benchmark in low SOx/NOx and CO2 emissions, and make the plant "highly ecological and best in class," it said.
"Globally the markets are growing steadily, and we see lots of opportunities in both tire, mechanical rubber goods and industrial plastic in next few years," Epsilon managing director Vikram Handa said.
Epsilon Carbon is well positioned to cater to the growing demand with niche quality products, and is registered under REACH to supply to European partners, he said.