ORANGEBURG, S.C. — Birla Carbon has announced it will be investing $1 billion to construct a 435,000-square-foot building in Orangeburg to serve as a next-generation, synthetic grade continuous production facility.
This will be Birla Carbon's first operation in South Carolina. The company is one of the world's largest manufacturers and suppliers of high-quality carbon additives used in energy storage devices in hybrid automobiles to boost energy density and reduce charging times.
In September, the US Department of Energy awarded SKI US, Inc (dba Birla Carbon) $150,000,000 for production of a next generation synthetic graphite domestic continuous production facility to meet the projected U.S. electric vehicle and energy storage market demand. That award was part of a $3 billion investment nationwide, with $850 million going to South Carolina.
The new facility will be located at the Tri-County Industrial site in Orangeburg and, in its initial phase, produce 25,000 tons of synthetic graphite annually in an effort to meet the projected demand for the electric vehicle, energy storage and defense markets.
Although operations are not expected to be online until 2026, Birla Carbon will be providing education and internship opportunities for prospective employees, as well as childcare subsidies for new parents hired to work at the facility. Employment opportunities will be available in 2025.
