Epsilon Carbon to export liquid coal tar pitch in a landmark deal with South32

Epsilon Carbon, an eminent Indian manufacturer specializing in coal tar pitch derivatives, has recently entered into a partnership with South32, an international mining and metals corporation. The agreement entails importing liquid coal tar pitch from Epsilon Carbon to South32's South Africa and Mozambique operational sites.

Epsilon Carbon has achieved a significant milestone by securing an agreement with South32, making it the first Indian company to export liquid coal tar pitch. This achievement highlights Epsilon Carbon's dedication to innovation and focus on meeting customer needs. The company's carbon complex in Bellary is an integrated facility emphasising sustainability and safety across all its business activities.

According to market research, the global market for coal tar pitch can expect to surge from USD $3.91 billion in 2022 to USD $5.97 billion in 2030, with a CAGR of 5.45 per cent. Epsilon Carbon has emerged as a promising player in the global liquid coal tar pitch market, aiming to challenge the dominance of a few countries such as China, Korea, and Japan. By offering high-quality products, the company plans to decentralize the market and become a trusted supplier, capable of exporting significant volumes of this essential commodity to aluminium smelters worldwide.

Coal tar pitch plays a highly critical role in the manufacture of aluminium. It is used as a binder in producing carbon anodes, essential to the electrolysis process of extracting primary aluminium.

By 2024, Epsilon Carbon's objective is to enhance its production capabilities to meet the growing demand for liquid coal tar pitch, aiming to reach a capacity of 250kt. The company remains dedicated to serving the needs of aluminium smelters across the Middle East, Europe, and various other regions, while also targeting the export market. Epsilon Carbon aims to generate revenue of USD$500 million over five years from its international trade operations.

Vikram Handa, the Founder and Managing Director of Epsilon Carbon, said, “Epsilon Carbon is happy to collaborate with South32 and looks forward to this future-focused partnership. This agreement with South32 is a step forward that emphasizes innovation-driven output for Epsilon Carbon Pvt. Ltd. and will further accelerate the company’s growth and development in the global market. Trust is the key nurturing factor for all business collaborations, and we will continue to provide high-quality products focusing on innovation and sustainability. Epsilon Carbon has been working with some of the biggest names in the Aluminium industry in India and overseas, and this collaboration with South32 will increase our export volumes, making us the preferred and trusted supplier of liquid coal tar pitch for the world.”

Matthias Lehmbrock, the Procurement Manager for Major Raw Materials at South32, said, “Working with Epsilon is a great opportunity to diversify our supply base into a growth region for liquid coal tar pitch supply, and we look forward to testing their product with a trial cargo later this year”.