WAGGAMAN, LA — Gray, a fully integrated company specializing in construction, professional services, specialty equipment, and real estate, announces a partnership with UBE C1 Chemicals America, Inc. (UCCA) and Cornerstone Energy Park (CEP), culminated at the groundbreaking celebration for UBE's new chemical production facility.
The new $500 million manufacturing facility will be located at Cornerstone Energy Park in Waggaman, Louisiana.
This UBE facility will create the first domestic U.S. supply of dimethyl carbonate and ethyl methyl carbonate, critical components of lithium-ion battery and semiconductor manufacturing.
"We are thrilled to partner with UBE on this exciting new project," said Stephen Gray, President & CEO of Gray, Inc. "This state-of-the-art facility not only underscores our commitment to advancing sustainable technologies, but also plays a pivotal role in strengthening the domestic supply chain for electric vehicle [EV] battery components. The essential materials produced at this plant will contribute to the growth of the already booming EV industry."
"This manufacturing facility will be UBE's first large-scale chemical facility in the United States, and CEP offers not only a strategic location, but also raw materials needed for manufacturing, an abundant labor force, and competitive logistics," said Masato Izumihara, President and Representative Director of UBE.
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Gray is providing architecture, construction, equipment procurement, and MEP engineering for the modular, open-air chemical processing facility. Gray will set the customer's five-story pipe racks and handle all piping and connections from the racks to processing modules and utility points.
Japan-based fabricator Morimatsu will manufacture the processing modules. In addition to design-build services, Gray will oversee the quality program for fabrication and coordinate logistics for delivery, including constructing a temporary barge facility on the Mississippi River and a temporary bridge.
Construction will require more than 1,800 helical piles for deep foundations and over 6,400 metric tons of steel. The finished facility will also feature a 34,000 GPM cooling tower, onsite wastewater and waste gas treatment, and specialized fire protection.
This project will bolster the U.S. supply chain for lithium-ion batteries essential to electric and hybrid vehicles, as well as semiconductors vital to electronic devices across industries.
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The UCCA facility is estimated to create 50 to 60 new skilled positions, with over 400 workers on site at peak construction. The project is expected to be complete in 2027.
