- The ceremony was held on September 26.
- The plant is located at CFE's Lacq site.
- The investment plan was announced in March 2012.
- The plant will produce PAN-based carbon fiber precursors.
Opening Ceremony
Toray Industries, Inc. and its subsidiary Toray Carbon Fibers Europe S.A. held a ceremony on September 26 to mark the completion of a new carbon fiber raw material (precursor) plant at CFE's Lacq site. The event was attended by around 230 guests, including Japanese Ambassador to France Yoichi Suzuki and officials from French government agencies and municipalities, as well as representatives from the carbon fiber industry.
Investment Plan
The new precursor plant is part of Toray Group's investment plan announced in March 2012, aimed at expanding carbon fiber production capacity across its four global sites in Japan, the U.S., France, and South Korea. This new facility in France is the third precursor production base for the Group, following those in Japan and the U.S.
Production and Cost Competitiveness
The new plant allows CFE to switch to using precursor produced in-house rather than importing it from Japan, thereby enhancing cost competitiveness. Additionally, CFE will supply precursor to various Toray Group production bases, including Toray Advanced Material Korea Inc., supporting the group's overall business expansion.
Market Demand
Global demand for PAN-based carbon fibers exceeded 40,000 tons in 2013 and is expected to grow at a rate of over 15% annually. Toray has expanded its product range to meet this growing demand, including the acquisition of Zoltek Companies, Inc. in February 2014, which allowed Toray to enter the large tow carbon fiber business.
