Anticipating a mid-term spike in demand as the steel sector recovers from the slowdown, Graphite India said that it has revised the electrode capacity expansion plan at its Durgapur facility from 10,500 metric tonnes to 20,000 metric tonnes. “Volumes are expected to come up to the pre-crisis levels in the next 12 months, subsequent to which we see growth in the steel industry,” Graphite India chairman KK Bangur said.
The expansion will take place over the next two years with an expenditure of about Rs 255 crore resulting in the total capacity reaching the 1,00,000-tonne mark. Now, its annual capacity is 78,000 tonne from four plants in Durgapur, Bangalore, Nashik and Rothenbach, Germany.