Calgon Carbon Corporation has announced the completion of its capacity expansion at its Pearlington site, bringing 38 new jobs to the area.
The expansion includes the addition of a second activated carbon production line, resulting in a significant increase in production capacity.
With this expansion, Calgon Carbon — known as the world’s largest manufacturer of activated carbon and reactivation services — will now produce more than 200 million pounds of virgin activated carbon per year.
The primary purpose of this expanded production capacity is to offer more activated carbon to customers around the world, some of which will use it to combat the presence of polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) “forever chemicals” in drinking water and wastewater.
Not only can PFAS be removed from the environment using granular activated carbon, but reactivation can effectively remove those same compounds from the spent carbon and safely destroy the contaminants to approximately 99.99 percent.
The expansion not only strengthens Calgon Carbon’s commitment to environmental remediation but also brings economic benefits to Pearlington through the addition of new job positions.
“Through this expansion, we can now serve more customers around the world who will use this activated carbon in their industrial and manufacturing processes, or, to clean their drinking water and wastewater,” Steve Schott, Calgon Carbon’s President and CEO, said. “With an unprecedented global demand for treating PFAS, this additional capacity of activated carbon couldn’t have come at a better time.”
The Pearlington plant sits on 100 acres within the Port Bienville Industrial Park and has approximately 400,000 square feet and over 80 employees.
“The support and enthusiasm from the state, port, and local economic development leaders have made an endeavor like this possible,” Schott added. “We’ve been here for over 30 years and have always felt at home in Mississippi; it’s a great feeling to hire more people and expand our presence here.”
