Activated carbon products manufacturer and distributor Calgon Carbon announced plans Thursday to invest $185 million to double the square footage of its Pearlington, MS plant and add a second production line. Once operational, the new line will expand the firm’s capacity for virgin granular activated carbon to 200 million lb/yr.

“This expansion enables our activated carbon products to be more broadly used to clean the world’s air and water on an even larger scale,” the chief executive officer and president of Calgon Carbon, Steve Schott, said in a release. “There is no better place for this expansion, we have always felt at home in Mississippi, and we appreciate the support and enthusiasm the state and local economic development leaders have shown us.”

The firm’s owner, chemical manufacturer Kuraray, secured approval for the expansion on June 24 after discussions with the Mississippi Development Authority and the Hancock County Port and Harbor Commission. 

During the project, the facility’s footprint will grow from 200,000 sq ft to 400,000 sq ft. Work on the site is expected to reach completion in late 2022. The company will also nearly double the plant’s headcount from 42 workers to 80. 

“This $185 million expansion will further boost production capacity, increasing investment in our natural resources for future generations,” Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves said in a statement. “Tapping into our skilled workforce and creating 38 new jobs, I’m excited to see more Mississippians get to work and help make these important products that are used across our great nation and the world.”

Calgon Carbon’s purification solutions have more than 700 applications, according to the company, including drinking water, wastewater, pollution abatement, and industrial and commercial manufacturing processes. Kuraray purchased the firm in 2018.