Epsilon Carbon, a coal tar derivatives firm, has established India’s first integrated carbon black complex with ₹550 crore investment at Bellary. The Mumbai-based company establishes a facility with a total capacity of 3,00,000 tonnes per year.
The company is lead by Vikram Handa, son-in-law of Sajjan Jindal, the chairman and managing director of JSW group.
Carbon black is n additive used in the making of rubber products like tyres, colouring pigment inks and also as electric conducive agents for high-tech devices.
Epsilon Carbon currently operates a 2,20,000 tpa coal tar distillation facility that caters to 40% of the pitch demand in the aluminium industry, with the new carbon black facility. the company will cater to the tyre, tubes, and other rubber-based auto parts segments. “We are looking at more rubber-based auto parts and not planning to venture into inks and toners in the phase 1 development”, said Mr. Handa.
Covid-19 outbreak kept many chemical industries including carbon black companies in jitters as they were dependant on China for their raw materials. However, Epsilon is completely backwards integrated and is positive about it’s new business growth.
“All other carbon black manufacturers burn oil as fuel, but we will be using waste gas from JSW Steel and our existing coal tar derivative plants as a fuel in our new carbon black unit”, added Mr. Handa.
