HOUSTON—Orion Engineered Carbons began commercial sales form a new reactor for carbon black production in northern Italy, the specialty chemical company announced Feb. 28.
The new 25-kiloton facility in Ravenna, Italy, which produces both specialty and technical rubber carbon black, marks the first new reactor for carbon black production in the European Union in over 40 years, said Orion in a statement Feb. 28.
The products of the new plant are primarily destined for the European market.
With the new unit, Orion said it aims to offer long-term and dependable supply of materials in the region, according to CEO Corning Painter.
Additional investments at the 60-year-old plant include a new co-generation facility to convert waste heat into electricity, generating up to 120 MWh of green electricity per year.
From that amount, 7 percent will be supplied to the national grid, serving about 30,000 households, Orion said.
