US-based graphite electrode producer GrafTech has announced that it plans to complete its expansion project which started in 2017. The project will increase its electrode production capacity by 35,000 mt to 235,000 mt by the end of 2018 with a total capital expenditure of $37 million.
The company also stated that in 2017 its Calais and Pamplona plants exceeded previous annual record production levels by approximately 15 percent and 12 percent respectively, while the Monterrey plant’s production was 12 percent higher than the previous record production level for the past 10 years.
Additionally, GrafTech’s long-term contracts (2018-2022) cover 60-65 percent of its capacity and the average price under long-terms contracts as of January 19 stands in the range of $10,064-$9,658/mt.