Ceramic and glass business news of the week for November 29, 2021

PLANTS, CENTERS, AND FACILITIES

Luxembourg’s first floating PV plant is now operational

German renewable energy company Enovos and Luxembourg-based steelmaker ArcelorMittal announced the inauguration of Luxembourg’s first floating PV plant. The facility was deployed with 25,000 solar modules on a former cooling pond owned by the steel manufacturer’s unit ArcelorMittal Differdange.

Austrian investment fund announces 1 GW solar project in Romania

The Austrian investment fund Core Value Capital plans to invest EUR 800 million into new photovoltaic parks in Romania over the next seven years. The new parks will have a total capacity of 1 gigawatt.

Şişecam, Ciner Group plan record-breaking $4 billion soda ash investment

Turkish glass companies Şişecam and Ciner Group plan to invest $4 billion in the U.S. soda ash industry. The investment will mean Şişecam will become one of the world’s largest soda ash producers in the world in terms of capacity.

RHI Magnesita opens new Indian research and development center

RHI Magnesita opened its new Indian regional research and development center. The center is its fifth of its kind globally, and joins existing facilities in Austria, Brazil, China, and the U.S.

ACQUISITIONS AND COLLABORATIONS

Ardagh Group set to acquire Consol Glass

Ardagh Group is to buy South African glass container manufacturer Consol Glass for ZAR10.1 billion (US$635 million). Headquartered in Johannesburg, and founded in 1946, Consol operates four glass production facilities.

Fenzi Group acquires Advanced Glass Technologies

Fenzi Holdings, a chemical company in the glass processing industry headquartered in Italy, announced the acquisition of Johnson Matthey’s Advanced Glass Technologies business, a global provider of specialist glass enamels and precious metal pastes supplied mainly to the automotive sector.

GM invests in outboard motor start-up to make all-electric boating

General Motors acquired a 25% ownership stake in Pure Watercraft, a start-up based in Seattle that makes all-electric motors for boats of all different kinds. The two companies will develop and commercialize battery-electric watercraft, using GM’s technology in a variety of boating uses to accelerate the industry’s transition to all-electric.

Nofar Energy and Electrum to develop renewable projects in Poland

Israel-based green energy company Nofar Energy signed an agreement with Polish independent power producer Electrum to build 1.25 GW of renewable energy capacity in Poland. The companies will create a joint venture to initiate, develop, and maintain photovoltaic and wind energy projects.

OTHER STORIES

Request for input: NIST assessing China’s influence on international standards

The National Institute of Standards and Technology is accepting input for a congressionally mandated study that will examine the “effect of the policies of the People’s Republic of China and coordination among industrial entities within the People’s Republic of China on international bodies engaged in developing and setting international standards for emerging technologies.” Submissions are due December 6.

Ford and GM to develop their own chips

Two R&D World Index members, General Motors and Ford Motor Company, announced they both had created strong relationships with semiconductor device manufacturers.

Spain’s cement sector recovers 57 Mt of waste in 15 years

The Spanish cement industry recovered 57 Mt of waste from 88 sectors between 2004–19, reports the Fundación CEMA in collaboration with Institut Cerdà. This collection prevented the release of 1 Mt of carbon dioxide emissions to the atmosphere and savings of EUR115m by not sending the waste to landfills.

Pakistani cement exporters face several challenges

The exports of cement and clinker from Pakistan have been affected by several factors, including a change in political set-up in Afghanistan, the persistent deadlock in trade between Islamabad and Delhi, anti-dumping duties, and the financial crunch in Sri Lanka, according to Inayat Ullah Niazi, CFO of DG Khan Cement.

Ceramics firms in Stoke-on-Trent may halt work due to gas costs

BBC reports that ceramics firms in Stoke-on-Trent, England, are considering halting work in December due to rising gas prices. The costs may force firms to pay staff not to work rather than face high energy costs, Stoke-on-Trent South MP Jack Brereton said in a Commons debate.

MARKET TRENDS

Six automakers and 30 countries say they’ll phase out gasoline car sales

At least six major automakers—including Ford, Mercedes-Benz, General Motors and Volvo—and 30 national governments pledged to work toward phasing out sales of new gasoline and diesel-powered vehicles by 2040 worldwide. But some of the world’s biggest car manufacturers, including Toyota, Volkswagen, and the Nissan-Renault, did not join.

How energy reforms could impact Mexico’s cement industry

The International Cement Review looks at the proposed Mexican energy reforms and their potential impact on the cement industry. Mexico’s president, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, introduced the prospect of sweeping energy reforms earlier this year. The move would see state control of the energy market substantially increase.

Why are prices so high? Blame the supply chain—and why inflation is here to stay

An article on The Conversation looks at factors driving the recent surge in consumer prices and suggests that inflation is here to stay.

NEW PRODUCTS

Holcim launches new concrete product

Holcim launched a new high-performance concrete called DYNAMax, which is expected to deliver high strength, durability, and rigidity alongside design freedom and sustainability. It will be launched in markets across Europe, Latin America, North America, and Asia Pacific in 2022.

NTN releases ceramic ball bearings for electric motor applications

NTN Bearing Corp. of America added ceramic ball bearings for electric motor applications as its newest product offering. NTN’s new series of ceramic ball bearings was specifically designed to prevent electrical arcing in a variety of applications.