Tokyo-headquartered Toray Industries plans to increase regular tow carbon fibre production capacity at the Spartanburg, South Carolina plant of Toray Composite Materials America, and the Gumi plant of Toray Advanced Materials Korea in Gyeongsangbuk-do, Korea.

These investments will increase Toray Group’s annual capacity by over 20% to 35,000 metric tons by 2025.

The capacity increases are in response to the market situation in the United States and Korea, where demand for pressure vessel applications is rising. Fuelled by new clean energy applications in hydrogen and natural gas, the expansions will target the further adoption of high-strength carbon fibres of up to 24,000 filaments per tow. The capacity increases will also complement total supply for other core markets such as aerospace.

Toray anticipates demand for regular tow carbon fibre will expand by 17% annually. The decarbonisation megatrend signals a growing demand for compressed natural gas delivery vehicles and gas transportation tanks, increasing the need for compressed natural gas, hydrogen tanks and other pressure vessel applications. This trend will also increase the adoption of regular tow carbon fibre for passenger cars, trucks, trains, and ships that utilise fuel cells, the company believes.

www.toray.com