Birla Carbon’s Greenfield facility commences operations in Jining, China

World-class energy positive plant to cater to customers in China

The Jining energy positive plant

Jining, Shandong: Birla Carbon’s largest engagement in China, its greenfield 1,20,000 metric tonnes carbon black project in Jining, Shandong province, was inaugurated today at the hands of Dr. Santrupt Misra, Chief Executive Officer, Birla Carbon. Senior Chinese dignitaries, Media, Aditya Birla Group and Birla Carbon senior management representatives graced the occasion. The Jining plant, which currently has an installed capacity of 1,20,000 metric tonnes, will expand to 2,40,000 metric tonnes in phase 2.

Said Mr. Kumar Mangalam Birla, Chairman, Aditya Birla Group, “While the Aditya Birla Group has always had a presence in China – we have not leveraged the potential that both we as a Group and China as a market place had to offer. We are delighted to have finally taken the right step to invest in a meaningful way in this great country of culture, history and civilization.” He further stated, “The Jining plant is well ahead of its time, whether it be the manufacturing processes involved or the environmental standards, it follows. Everything that we have learned over our 150 plus years of manufacturing carbon black around the world has been poured into this facility. It is, in a manner of speaking, our magnum opus.”

Dr. Santrupt Misra, Chief Executive Officer, Birla Carbon, during the opening ceremony of the Jining plant

Speaking at this memorable occasion, Dr. Santrupt Misra, stated, “China has been awe inspiring for the world for many years and has emerged as a global showcase of economic dynamism. The automotive market in China is a vibrant one with every global major working to succeed in this market.” He further added, “As a carbon black leader, Birla Carbon is committed to driving innovations that fulfil the needs of our customers. A strong presence in many parts of the world puts us in a good position to support our customers anywhere around the globe.”

“China is an important market for Birla Carbon in Far East Asia. Many of our customers are based out of China with operations across the rest of Asia. With the Jining facility, we now have the opportunity to address the needs of our Chinese customers from within China,” commented Mr. Sanjeev Sood, President, South East and Far East Asia region, Birla Carbon and Country Head, Aditya Birla Group Affairs, Thailand. “The Jining facility will cater to the increasing requirements of top 4-5 growing tire manufacturers and multinational tire manufacturers in the region,” averred Mr. Sood.

China is one of the largest and fastest-growing markets for carbon black with a forecast to grow at a CAGR of 7.0 per cent by 2021. The new production plant will exclusively cater to the Chinese customer base and will accommodate the growing demands for superior quality, technical solutions and performance.

The Birla Carbon Jining plant will produce traditional ASTM (American Society for Testing and Materials) grades and specific Birla Carbon grades for customers in China. The ASTM grades will focus on the tire industry while many of the Birla Carbon grades will support mechanical rubber goods and other customer requirements.

Birla Carbon Jining will be an ‘energy positive’ plant. The plant has its own energy management system. The cogen facility will generate high pressure steam and electricity which will first cater to captive consumption and have surplus electricity exported to state grid. The plants replacement of state grid electricity will contribute in reducing fossil fuel usage and subsequently emissions.

The Jining facility uses state-of-the-art De-SOx and De-NOx boilers. These ultra-modern emission control capabilities are aligned to the Chinese environment norms to be adapted by 2021.

Keeping sustainability as part of its global priorities, the Jining plant has been designed based on Birla Carbon’s Sustainable Operational Excellence (SOE) approach. Technology has been used to ensure direct CO₂ emissions per tonne of carbon black produced is much lower than the industry benchmark. The plant will operate at maximum efficiency at all times.

Health, Safety and Environment (HSE) is another important aspect of the Jining facility. From the moment feedstock enters the plant until the finished carbon black product is delivered to the customer, the plant ensures all material is handled in a safe and environmentally responsible manner.

About Birla Carbon
Birla Carbon is one of the world's largest manufacturers and suppliers of high quality carbon black and a flagship business of the US$ 41 billion Aditya Birla Group. The company’s footprint extends across 12 countries with 16 manufacturing facilities. Birla Carbon provides a complete portfolio of products across ASTM grades and specialty blacks to meet the specific end requirements across Tires, Rubber, Plastics, Coatings, Inks and other niche industries.

Birla Carbon has two state-of-the art technology centers at Marietta (USA) and Taloja (India), besides well-equipped laboratories across its manufacturing units providing for continuous R&;D. As an ardent practitioner of sustainable development, Birla Carbon’s Sustainable Operational Excellence (SOE) strategy focuses on employee safety, environmental stewardship, efficient use of carbon sources and a key focus on conducting operations in a socially and ethically responsible manner.