Company Announcements
September 2, 2026
GrafTech to permanently close Monterrey electrode plant
Written by Laura Miller
GrafTech International Ltd. announced plans to permanently close its graphite electrode manufacturing facility in Monterrey, Mexico. The closure will happen in phases, with production expected to end early in the second quarter of 2027.
The move will reduce GrafTech’s annual electrode production capacity by 51,000 metric tons (mt), including 35,000 mt at the Monterrey facility and a 16,000-mt reduction at its Pamplona, Spain, facility as it changes its product mix.
“Today’s announcement represents a disciplined and decisive action to support the long-term success of GrafTech,” said CEO and President Timothy Flanagan. “Given the persistent imbalance between global graphite electrode supply and demand, maintaining underutilized capacity that requires ongoing capital investment is neither economically sustainable nor in the long-term interests of GrafTech or our stakeholders.”
GrafTech expects the planned closure to improve manufacturing utilization, reduce its cost structure and capital requirements, and concentrate production at its larger, more efficient facilities. It will continue to produce electrodes at the Pamplona facility and in Calais, France.
In addition, the Brooklyn Heights, Ohio-based company will maintain a presence in North America with its petroleum needle coke Seadrift operations in Port Lavaca, Texas. It also has an electrode machining and distribution facility in St. Marys, Pennsylvania, but it has been idle since 2024.
