Showa Denko Carbon, a division of the Tokyo-based Showa Denko Group, has announced that it is expanding capacity its graphite electrode capacity at its Ridgeville, South Carolina plant. The expansion from 45,000 mt to 75,000 mt annual capacity is slated for completion by the end of 2018. The expansion cost is estimated at $350 million and will add 80 employees, bringing the number of employees at the plant to almost 300.
According to Carl Kolts, president and CEO of Showa Denko Carbon, the plant is expanding to serve both the growing needs of domestic customers as well as the export market. The plant presently exports 30 percent of its production.
Last year, Showa Denko Carbon completed a $382 million acquisition of Germany’s SGL Group. By adding SGL’s six production facilities in five countries and about 900 employees, Showa Denko Carbon became the world’s largest graphite electrode supplier. The global graphite electrode market is fast-growing, valued at about $5 billion in 2016 and projected to reach $27.5 billion by 2022, according to a report by Research Cosmos.
Showa Denko Group business segments include petrochemicals, chemicals, inorganics, aluminum, electronics, battery materials, and other related industries.