Business

Thursday April 16, 2009

SGL commissions first phase of RM1bil plant


SGL Group, the world’s leading maker of carbon and graphite, has completed and commissioned the first phase of its integrated carbon and graphite plant here.

With a planned investment of over RM1bil, the Banting plant would have an annual capacity of 60,000 tonnes of graphite electrodes and cathodes when fully commissioned in 2011, SGL Carbon Asia-Pacific Sdn Bhd managing director KH Lim said at a press briefing on the commissioning of phase 1A of the project.

Meanwhile, Bernama quoted Lim as saying the group’s production capacity was currently 220,000 tonnes of graphite electrodes and moving forward, the plant was expected to supply 30% to 40% of the domestic market.

Lim said the group had so far spent up to RM700mil on construction of the plant, which would see three more phases completed.

”We are here for the long term, and the plant is to cater for the growing demand of the region, specifically the steel industry which is growing at a comparative good rate,” Lim said, adding that SGL had acquired 35 acres beside the existing plant area for future expansion to manufacture other carbon derived products.

Headquartered in Wiesbaden, Germany, SGL has more than 40 production sites worldwide with 6,500 workers. It generated sales of 1.6 billion euros last year.

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