Ceramic and glass business news of the week for March 6, 2023

PLANTS, CENTERS, AND FACILITIES

RAK Ceramics upgrades sustainably its sanitaryware manufacturing model

RAK Ceramics PJSC announced a US$14 million investment in its sanitaryware production line in the United Arab Emirates, upgrading the facility with cutting-edge technology kilns and elevating sustainably the company’s sanitaryware operating model. The goal is to begin installation of the new machinery in 2023 and go online in the first half of 2024.

Aero Aggregates plans Massachusetts glass plant

Glass recycling company Aero Aggregates is planning a new facility in Massachusetts to process glass bottles into foamed aggregate for construction.

Triveni Glass to build solar glass factory in Andhra Pradesh

Triveni Glass will set up a solar glass manufacturing plant in Andhra Pradesh with an estimated investment of INR 1,000 crore. The plant will have the capacity to produce 840 metric tonnes of solar glass per day.

Golden Goliath to acquire Canadian rare earth element prospect

Golden Goliath Resources signed an option agreement to acquire a 100% stake in the Ernest Rare Earth Element prospect in Quebec, Canada. Under the deal with an undisclosed firm, Golden Goliath will pay $130,000 and issue 1,850,000 shares.

Adani Group to set up two new cement plants, data center in Andhra Pradesh

Adani Group will set up two new cement manufacturing plants, 15,000 MW of renewable power projects, and a data center in Andhra Pradesh, India. Last year, Adani Group bought Ambuja and ACC from Swiss cement major Holcim and became the second-largest cement player in India.

ACQUISITIONS AND COLLABORATIONS

Platinum Equity announces completion of HarbisonWalker International acquisition

Platinum Equity announced that the previously announced acquisition of HarbisonWalker International by way of a merger agreement, has been completed. HarbisonWalker’s headquarters will remain in Pittsburgh as the headquarters of the combined company’s Americas region operations.

India’s IFGL Refractories Limited acquires UK’s Sheffield Refractories

India’s IFGL Refractories Limited acquired a 100% shareholding in Sheffield Refractories Limited, U.K. A company statement says the acquisition was completed through IFGL’s wholly owned U.K.-based subsidiary Monocon International Refractories Limited.

Architectural display glass maker GLAAM to go public via merger with SPAC Jaguar Global

GLAAM, a maker of architectural display glass, agreed to go public via a merger with Jaguar Global Growth Corporation, a blank check company formed by Jaguar Growth Partners Group and Hennessy Capital Group. GLAAM and Jaguar Global shareholders will exchange their shares for shares in a new combined company named NewCo.

OTHER STORIES

UK ceramics trade body announces its first female vice president

Hannah Ault, managing director of Stoke-on-Trent-based Valentine Clays Ltd, agreed to take on the role of vice president on the British Ceramic Confederation Board of Directors. The British Ceramic Confederation is the trade association for the U.K. ceramic manufacturing industry, representing all sectors of the industry.

Meyer Burger to only manufacture glass–glass solar panels in the future

Meyer Burger plans to switch all its high-performance solar modules to a glass–glass design to increase production speed and prevent slowdowns due to product shortages.

Rare earth elements recycling advanced through £15m UK government funding

The U.K. government announced it will provide £15 million in funding to innovate rare earth elements recycling technologies and techniques. The funding will be employed to launch the CircuLar crItical MATErials Supply chains (CLIMATES) program, which will be delivered by Innovate UK.

MARKET TRENDS

South African government introduces renewable energy and solar tax incentive

The South African government introduced a R9 billion tax relief program to support South Africa’s clean energy transition, increase electricity supply, and limit impact of consistently high fuel prices. Businesses will be able to claim a 125% deduction in the first year for all renewable energy projects with no thresholds on generation capacity.

China’s PV industry production value reaches US$203.5 billion

China’s photovoltaic industry’s production value last year reached US$203.5 billion, according to a report published by China’s ministry of industry and information technology. Polysilicon, silicon wafers, cells, and modules reached 827,000 tons, 357 GW, 318 GW, and 288.7 GW, respectively, equivalent to a year-on-year growth of more than 55%.

Japan can achieve 90% clean power share by 2035, US study finds

A decline in the cost of solar, wind, and battery storage means Japan can get 90% of its power from clean electricity by 2035, according to a study by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. The study also found Japan’s power grid can remain reliable without coal generation or new gas-fired power plants.

NEW PRODUCTS

Move data at speeds of up to 100 gigabits per second with SCHOTT TO PLUS headers

SCHOTT’s 50G TO platform is available in various headers for datacom and next-generation passive optical networks applications. The speed can be further accelerated by combining the 50G TO with 4-level pulse amplitude modulation technology. This combo makes it possible to transmit up to 100 gigabits per second over a single fiber.

ACC launches temperature-controlled concrete ‘Coolcrete’

ACC, the cement and building materials company of Adani Group, formulated a temperature-controlled concrete called “Coolcrete.” Coolcrete has a strength of up to M100 with 550–750 mm flow and high segregation resistance.