TOKYO - Toray Industries has announced plans to increase regular tow carbon fibre production capacity at its facilities in the US and South Korea by 20%.
Capital investments will add lines to the Spartanburg plant in South Carolina, USA, part of Toray Composite Materials America, Inc. and the Gumi plant in Gyeongsangbuk-do, Korea, which is run by Toray Advanced Materials Korea Inc. The investments will increase the Toray Group’s annual capacity by over 20% to 35,000 metric tons beginning in 2025.
Fueled by the ongoing clean energy revolution in hydrogen, natural gas, and other industrial applications, the expansions will target high-strength carbon fibres up to 24,000 filaments per tow. The capacity increases will also complement total supply for other core markets such as aviation.
Toray said it anticipates demand for regular tow carbon fibre to expand by 17% annually with the move to decarbonisation also increasing the adoption of regular tow carbon fibre for passenger cars, trucks, trains, and ships that utilise fuel cells.
"Toray has made growing sustainably pivotal to Project AP-G 2025, its medium-term management program," Toray said. "Accordingly, the company has positioned industrial applications of its carbon fibre composite materials business to accelerate measures tackling climate change. Toray will fully leverage its comprehensive capabilities in keeping with its corporate philosophy of contributing to society by creating new value and help materialize a carbon-neutral economy by 2050."
