PCBL to set up Rs 600-crore greenfield plant near Chennai

    Kolkata, Jul 9 (PTI) RP-Sanjiv Goenka Group's Phillips
Carbon Black Ltd (PCBL) has finalised a site near Chennai in
Tamil Nadu to set up its Rs 600-crore greenfield plant, and
all its expansion programmes are on track, sources said on
Thursday.
    The company has also commissioned its second research
and development (R&D) centre in Belgium in June amid the
coronavirus pandemic.
    "Though there had been some delay due to the lockdown,
all expansion projects are on track. The Rs 600-crore new
greenfield plant will come up near Chennai in Tamil Nadu.
    "The project awaits a few final approvals, and the
construction is expected to begin in the second half of the
current fiscal," company sources told PTI.
    The company had been discussing with the state
governments of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana for
setting up the plant.
    The largest carbon black manufacturer remains
optimistic about the demand growth and had already invested Rs
300 crore for brownfield expansions in its Mundra and Palej
plants in Gujarat, the sources said.
    The expansion at Mundra facility has already been
completed, while the same at Palej is nearing completion, they
said, adding that the two would offer 80,000 tonne of capacity
addition.
    Apart from the two, the company has manufacturing
facilities at Kochi in Kerala and Durgapur in West Bengal.
    At present, the combined capacity is 5.71 lakh tonne.
The greenfield plant will have a 1.5 lakh tonne additional
capacity in both rubber and specialised carbon black products.
    "Sushila Goenka Innovation Centre in Belgium has
become operational, strengthening our competitive position
during a difficult time," the group's chairman Sanjiv Goenka
said.
    The company has an R&D facility at Palej.
    According to sources, the company went for a second
R&D centre in a bid to give push in the specialty carbon
segment.
    A total of 30 scientists are working in both
facilities and the manpower will gradually be increased to
50, they said.
    The scientists will research on nano carbons and new
age materials.
    After a lull of two months in the current fiscal, the
PCBL saw a rise in demand with growth in the automotive
sector, particularly in the two-wheeler and entry level
passenger car segments, they said. PTI BSM
BDC BDC

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)