China's largest single-line capacity large-tow carbon fiber production line was put into operation on Friday in Ordos City of north China's Inner Mongolia, according to Chinese oil giant Sinopec.
With a designed single-line capacity exceeding 3,000 tons, the products are said to reach internationally advanced performance levels, marking another key step toward high-end carbon fiber development in China.
The overall plan calls for the construction of 10 production lines.
The first-phase project currently put into operation includes two production lines, while the second-phase project, comprising eight additional lines, is expected to be fully completed by the end of 2027. When completed, the project's overall production capacity is expected to reach 30,000 tons.
Carbon fiber offers outstanding mechanical performance. Its density is less than one quarter of steel, while its strength is seven to nine times that of steel. It also exhibits strong corrosion resistance, making it widely used in sectors such as aerospace, new-energy vehicles and high-end equipment.
In the carbon fiber industry, fibers with more than 48,000 filaments per tow are classified as large-tow carbon fiber. Compared with small-tow carbon fiber, the most significant advantage of large-tow carbon fiber lies in its ability to achieve higher single-line output and lower production costs under the same production conditions. This translates into clear benefits for large-scale industrial adoption.
High-end large-tow carbon fiber production line starts operation in Inner Mongolia
The oil price shock triggered by the war in the Middle East could reduce euro-area GDP growth by around 0.4 percentage points over the first year following the shock, according to a European Central Bank (ECB) study released on Wednesday.
Since the outbreak of the war in late February, disruptions to oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz and reduced oil supply from the Middle East have pushed crude prices sharply higher, said the study.
It added that the increase in oil prices triggered by the current shock has so far been larger than that observed after the Russia-Ukraine conflict in 2022, although it remains smaller than the rise seen during the Gulf War in the early 1990s.
The ECB said higher oil prices are likely to weigh on the euro-area economy through rising production costs, lower household purchasing power, weaker global demand and heightened uncertainty.
Based on historical evidence, the ECB estimated that a geopolitical oil supply shock that raises real oil prices by 10 percent could reduce euro-area GDP growth by around 0.2 to 0.3 percentage points in each of the three years following the shock.
The study found that the impact on investment is likely to be more pronounced than that on private consumption. According to the ECB, heightened geopolitical uncertainty may prompt firms to delay expansion plans, equipment purchases and hiring decisions, dampening investment activity and amplifying the impact on economic growth.
The ECB noted that the euro area's dependence on oil has declined over time, but the response of investment to geopolitical oil supply shocks appears to have remained broadly stable.
The study cautioned that the overall impact of the current shock remains highly uncertain and will depend on the magnitude and persistence of the oil price increase. A prolonged period of elevated oil prices, broader supply-chain disruptions or spillovers into gas markets could further intensify downward pressure on euro-area growth.
Middle East oil shock could cut euro-area growth by 0.4 percentage points in first year: ECB
