Hexcel Corp. is investing $250 million on a new carbon fiber plant in France, with part of the production going into the future Airbus SAS A350 XWB.
The new site in Roussillon, France, will include new precursor and carbon fiber lines along with quality control laboratories and offices, Stamford, Conn.-based Hexcel said in a Sept. 30 news release.
The 37-acre site at the Osiris Chemicals Industry Platform is close to the existing Hexcel weaving and prepreg manufacturing facilities near Lyon, France.
The plant will be Hexcel's first precursor plant in Europe and its first carbon fiber capacity site in France, the company said.
Carbon fiber from the site will go to Airbus and Safran Group for its CFM Leap engine.
“The state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities that we will build demonstrate our commitment to technology expansion around the world to provide an efficient global supply chain in support of customer programs,” Hexcel CEO and President Nick Stanage said in the release.
Airbus President and CEO Fabrice Brégier said the facility will support his company's requirements for the A350 XWB's composite primary structures. The newest passenger jet due out from Airbus boasts lighter weight which contributes to a 25 percent improvement in fuel economy.
Construction will begin in mid-2015. It is expected to employ 120 people when fully operational in early 2018.