Cabot Corp. and joint venture partner Inner Mongolia Hengyecheng Silicone Co. Ltd (HYC) broke ground recently on its new fumed silica manufacturing facility in Wuhai, China.

The project is scheduled to be completed in 2019, and will reportedly further Cabot’s position as a leading producer of fumed silica. Cabot and HYC are investing approximately $60 million to build a world-class fumed silica manufacturing facility, with Cabot owning an 80% equity interest.

“Today is a momentous day for all of us as we break ground on this important expansion that will allow us to grow our manufacturing capabilities to meet the growing needs of our customers,” said Sean Keohane, president and CEO, Cabot, at the groundbreaking ceremony. “We would like to thank our partners HYC and the Wuhai Municipality for their support, and we look forward to becoming a part of this community and contributing to it.”

“This investment is an important milestone in our corporate strategy to extend our leadership in performance materials by investing for growth in our core businesses,” said Keohane. “We are proud of our industry and technology leadership in China, and this project further demonstrates our long-term commitment to this important core market.”

For more information, visit www.cabotcorp.com.