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Koppers Joint Venture in China Established
November 20, 2007 at 8:14 AM EST
PITTSBURGH, PA, Nov 20, 2007 (MARKET WIRE via COMTEX News Network) -- Koppers Holdings Inc. (NYSE: KOP) today announced that the corporate entity for its new joint venture with Kailuan Clean Coal Co., Ltd. ("Kailuan") has been established. The new company, Tangshan Koppers Kailuan Carbon Chemical Company Limited, will operate a new tar distillation facility being constructed in the Hebei Province near the Jingtang Port. The plant will be capable of distilling 300,000 metric tons of tar into various products including carbon pitch, carbon black oils, and naphthalene.

The plant will be located near Kailuan's coke batteries, which will provide a significant portion of the necessary coal tar raw material to the new distillation plant. The new facility will also be located near Koppers' other joint venture in Tangshan, which includes a port facility to provide export capabilities. Koppers will be responsible for export sales of carbon pitch, naphthalene and carbon black oils from the facility. Koppers expects to supply the carbon pitch produced at this facility to the expanding global aluminum industry. Carbon black oils and naphthalene are expected to be sold primarily into the local Chinese rubber and superplasticizer markets, respectively. Other related coal tar products will be sold locally as well. The startup of the new plant is planned for 2008.

About Koppers

Koppers, with corporate headquarters and a research center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, is a global integrated producer of carbon compounds and treated wood products. Including its joint ventures, Koppers operates facilities in the United States, United Kingdom, Denmark, Australia, and China. The stock of Koppers Holdings Inc. is publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol "KOP." For more information, visit us on the Web: www.koppers.com. Questions concerning investor relations should be directed to Brian H. McCurrie at 412 227 2153 or Michael W. Snyder at 412 227 2131.

Safe Harbor Statement

This news release may contain forward-looking statements based on management's current expectations, estimates and projections. All statements that address expectations or projections about the future, including statements about the company's strategy for growth, product development, market position, expected expenditures and financial results are forward-looking statements. Some of the forward-looking statements may be identified by words like "expects," "anticipates," "plans," "intends," "projects," "indicates," and similar expressions. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve a number of risks, uncertainties and assumptions. Many factors, including those discussed more fully elsewhere in this release and in documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission by Koppers, particularly its latest annual report on Form 10-K and quarterly report on Form 10-Q, as well as others, could cause results to differ materially from those stated. These factors include, but are not limited to, changes in the laws, regulations, policies and economic conditions, including inflation, interest and foreign currency exchange rates, of countries in which the Company does business; competitive pressures; the loss of one or more key customer or supplier relationships; customer insolvencies; successful integration of structural changes, including restructuring plans, acquisitions, divestitures and alliances; cost and availability of raw materials; and other economic, business, competitive, regulatory and/or operational factors affecting the business of Koppers generally.

For Information:
Brian H. McCurrie
Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
412 227 2153
Email Contact

SOURCE: Koppers Holdings Inc.