BMW/SGL expansion will double plant capacity

MOSES LAKE - The BMW/SGL manufacturing plant in Moses Lake will be able to produce twice as much raw carbon fiber as it currently does once the plant's expansion project is complete.

Last month, SGL spokesperson Katharina Schraidt said the company had begun construction on a second building- a strategic expansion to make sure the plant would be able to meet any rising demand from BMW for more carbon fiber.

The state Department of Commerce released more details about the expansion project in a statement Tuesday. Commerce Director Brian Bonlender said SGL will invest $100 million to add two new production lines at the plant.

The addition of two new lines will double current production capacity, he said.

The plant's second carbon fiber line started production this past August, according to Schraidt. The plant currently produces 3,000 metric tons of carbon fiber annually with two lines, she said.

BMW unveiled its new i3 electric car earlier this year. The i3 will be made with carbon fiber manufactured in Moses Lake and assembled in Leipzig, Germany, according to a previous Columbia Basin Herald article.

The plant expansion has been designated a project of statewide significance, according to the Commerce release. The designation is prescribed in state law to provide for coordinated efforts, such as streamlined permitting, in support of industrial development with broad and lasting economic benefits.

Boeing 777x wing assembly and aircraft production in Snohomish County was the first proposal to receive the statewide significance designation from Commerce, according to the release.

"The SGL project aligns perfectly with Washington's economic development comprehensive plan. It is an ideal example of the cutting edge industries that we must compete for in order to secure our state's long-term prosperity in the global innovation economy," Bonlender said.