Gov. Chris Gregoire says the new carbon fiber plant being built in Moses Lake may double in size because of strong demand by the German carmaker BMW.

Gregoire is on a three-day trip to Germany, where she met with executives of BMW and SGL Automotive, a European carbon manufacturing company. The two companies have a joint venture that is building a plant in Moses Lake to produce the composite material for BMW's new electric car.

The governor said Friday that BMW thinks the material can be widely used throughout its automotive line but it can't get enough of it. She says she expects that directors of the two companies will decide on the expansion early next year. If it goes through, she says it would result in the largest carbon fiber manufacturing plant in the world, with some 160 permanent jobs.

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