Ceramic and glass business news of the week for August 9, 2021

PLANTS, CENTERS, AND FACILITIES

Plans for HJT gigafactory in Russia

The controlling shareholder of Russian photovoltaic manufacturer Hevel Solar says it has started construction on a gigafactory to manufacture solar ingots, wafers, and heterojunction cells in the Kaliningrad exclave of Russia, between Lithuania and Poland.

3D-printed graphene reinforced concrete trials to begin in train station

HS2 London tunnels contractor Skanska Costain Strabag JV is to pioneer on-site 3D printing of graphene-reinforced concrete. The technology, called “Printfrastructure,” promises to bring big environmental benefits and cost savings, if deployed more widely.

Tesla will soon open the supercharger network to other EVs

In the Tesla Second Quarter Earnings Call for 2021, Elon Musk and his Tesla team outlined a plan to allow electric vehicles built by other manufacturers to use the Tesla Supercharger charging network by the end of 2021.

Niagara County to cover closed landfills with solar panels

The Niagara County Legislature in New York approved a deal to lease the tops of three closed garbage landfills in Lockport to a solar developer for a project with a maximum output of 8.12 megawatts of power. The target date for the start of construction is November or December 2022, with completion in 2023.

New solar glass factory to come up in India

Asahi India Glass partnered with Ahmedabad-based Vishakha Group to set up India’s largest solar glass plant at Mundra in the Indian State of Gujarat. The factory, a greenfield project, would initially have a manufacturing capacity for up to 3 GW of solar installation per annum. The plant is expected to be commissioned within 18–24 months.

ACQUISITIONS AND COLLABORATIONS

Mkango to acquire 100% of both the Songwe Hill Rare Earths Project and Maginito

Mkango Resources Ltd. entered into an agreement with Talaxis Limited to acquire Talaxis’ 49% interest in Lancaster Exploration Limited, which owns the Songwe Hill Rare Earths Project in Malawi, and Talaxis’ 24.5% interest in Maginito Limited, which holds a 25% interest in rare earths magnet recycler HyProMag Limited.

Würth Additive Group expands distribution of Markforged’s 3D Digital Forge

Würth Additive Group announced that it had inked a global agreement with Markforged, the creator of Digital Forge, which is an integrated metal and carbon fiber industrial 3D printing platform. The expanded agreement will blend Digital Forge into Würth Additive Group’s additive manufacturing solutions on a global scale.

CeramTec partners with Nephron to launch PPE manufacturer Nephron Nitrile

CeramTec North America LLC partnered with South Carolina pharmaceutical giant Nephron Pharmaceutical Corporation to onshore nitrile glove production in the United States. CeramTec will be providing various sizes of ceramic glove formers used in the production of the nitrile gloves.

New NSF-funded Engineering Research Visioning Alliance seeks input in short survey

Funded by the National Science Foundation, the Engineering Research Visioning Alliance is an effort to help to identify and develop bold and transformative new engineering research directions. They are requesting input through the ERVA Community Survey to gather broad research themes for further exploration.

OTHER STORIES

Bloom Energy achieves key milestones on its path to decarbonize marine industry

In conjunction with Samsung Heavy Industries, Bloom Energy’s initial design for an engineless, fuel cell-powered liquefied natural gas carrier received approval in principle from DNV. Bloom Energy also received verification as an alternative power source for vessels as part of the American Bureau of Shipping’s New Technology Qualification service.

Chinese PV industry brief: Longi leapfrogs Jinko for first-half module shipments

Jinko Solar, which shipped more solar modules last year than any other company, was toppled from top spot in the first half of this year. The latest data released by Taiwanese market data company PV InfoLink has Longi Solar, Trina Solar, and JA Solar in the top three slots, with Jinko falling to fourth with Sino-Canadian business Canadian Solar fifth.

Philippine president signs law creating Energy Research and Policy Institute

President Rodrigo Duterte signed into law a measure establishing the Philippine Energy Research and Policy Institute. Under the law, the new institute will be an independent agency attached to the University of the Philippines and will have a separate budget from the state university.

Namibia mulls direct export of diamonds and semi-precious stones to India

In a bid to further strengthen its bilateral trade, Namibia is exploring the options of exporting diamonds and semi-precious stones directly to India rather than exporting through other countries, according to a senior official of the Namibian government.

ACI Foundation opens its annual request for concrete research proposals

The ACI Foundation’s Concrete Research Council seeks to advance the concrete industry through the funding of concrete research projects that further the knowledge and sustainability of concrete materials, construction, and structures. The annual request for proposals is open now through Dec. 1, 2021.

Milestone contract for graphene technology in water treatment

UK’s G2O Water Technologies reported securing its first commercial contract for the enhancement of water filtration membranes with graphene oxide.

Patented implants created with bioactive glasses and metals

Researchers at the Missouri University of Science and Technology recently received a patent for their implant comprised of bioactive glasses and metals that dissolve at the end of their operational lifespan. They see the potential for replacing other types of implants and eliminating the need for invasive removal once they have served their purpose.

US nanomaterial company develops rare earth alloy for $1/kg hydrogen production

U.S. nanotechnology company Damorphe is developing a hydrogen production technology using a rare earth oxide alloy that dissolves in water, which it says has the potential to deliver clean hydrogen at $1/kg. The company is working with partners to develop a prototype 1 mt/day demonstration facility in California.

MARKET TRENDS

African rare-earth projects moving forward despite challenges

A recent report by Roskill commends the efforts by a number of African countries to establish a diversified rare earths supply chain but points out that developing projects that satisfy all parties involved comes with several challenges.

South Korea to increase stockpiles of rare metals

South Korea announced plans to raise its stockpiles of critical metals such as cobalt, nickel and rare earths that are used in key emerging industries, including electric vehicle batteries and renewable energy. The government set a target to increase its stockpiles to cover 100 days of consumption, up from 56.8 days currently.

What if highways were electric? Germany is testing the idea

The New York Times looks at a test taking place in Germany, in which a system feeds electricity to trucks as they drive, using wires strung above the roadway and a pantograph mounted on the cab.

Glass industry sketches process technology route for reaching net zero

A new report from the industry group British Glass outlines the measures needed to achieve zero emissions in the U.K.’s glass industry by 2050. It points out costs are a hurdle to reductions, with electricity prices significantly higher than gas, and that upgrading electricity grid connections is estimated to cost around £12m (US$16.7m) per site.

NEW PRODUCTS

Vertical vacuum dryers

ROSS offers sanitary vertical blenders engineered for rapid homogenization and drying of delicate applications under vacuum. The design avoids the destructive effects of heat on unstable ingredients, and it promotes vaporization at lower temperatures during gentle agitation while preventing oxidation.

Planetary ball mills

FRITSCH Planetary Mills are ideally suited for fine grinding of hard, medium-hard, soft, brittle, tough, and moist materials. The comminution of the material to be ground takes place primarily through the high-energy impact of grinding balls in rotating grinding bowls.