Hexcel Announces New Carbon Fibre Plant in France

Hexcel has announced plans for the construction of a new $250 million carbon fibre plant in Roussillon, France.

The new carbon fibre facility will cover a 37-acre site at the Osiris Chemicals Industry Platform in Roussillon and will be composed of both polymerisation and carbonisation lines. The plant is part of Hexcel’s ongoing worldwide investment to create a supply chain to support the aerospace sectors growing demand for carbon fibre composites.

Nick Stanage, Hexcel Chairman, CEO and President, said,

Together with our capacity expansions in the U.S., this new facility in France will strengthen our global supply chain by adding precursor and additional carbon fibre capacity in Europe.

Carbon Fibre from the new plant will go to customers including Airbus for the A350 XWB and Safran for the CFM LEAP engine. Construction of the new plant will begin by September 2015 and is expected to employ 120 people when fully operational in early 2018.

The Roussillon facility is located close to Hexcel’s weaving and prepreg manufacturing facilities near Lyon. The company announced further investments totalling $22 million at these existing facilities to include capacity expansions at Hexcel’s carbon fibre weaving plant at Les Avenières, and an additional resin impregnation line in Dagneux, Montluel. These additional investments are expected to create 100 more jobs by 2018.