DuPont chooses site for Kevlar plant
DuPont is to invest $500 million at its Cooper River plant in order to significantly expand its production of high-performance DuPont Kevlar para-aramid brand fibre for industrial and military uses.
A new Kevlar facility will be built at the site, which is about 30 miles north of Charleston in Berkeley County, West Virginia. Approximately 100 permanent jobs are likely to be created at the plant in addition to more than 400 contractor jobs during peak construction, which is scheduled to begin in January. The plant’s startup is scheduled for 2010.
This is the first phase of the company’s plan to increase production of the fibre by more than 25%. It is investing an additional $50 million at its Spruance plant in Richmond, Virginia, in another bid to boost production. The combined expansion represents the largest single investment in Kevlar and the largest capacity increase since the fibre was introduced in 1965.
Best known for its performance in ballistic and stab-resistant body armour, the fibre has been used in clothing for law enforcement officers and military personnel around the world. It is also used for gloves, providing more freedom of movement while protecting hands from cuts, among other uses.
