Ceramic and glass business news of the week for May 29, 2023

PLANTS, CENTERS, AND FACILITIES

France’s Air Liquide builds hydrogen fuel station in Japan for taxis

French industrial gas supplier Air Liquide built a hydrogen refueling station in Japan to serve fuel cell vehicle taxis. It appears to be the first hydrogen refueling station for cabs in Japan. Air Liquide has established hydrogen stations in about 200 places worldwide.

Ardagh builds ‘NextGen’ hybrid furnace in Germany

Ardagh Glass began construction on a hybrid furnace to switch to renewable electricity at its glass production facility in Obernkirchen, Germany. The hybrid technology in the “NextGen” furnace will lead to as much as a 60% reduction in CO₂ emissions in the furnace.

We Recycle Solar unveils largest PV recycling plant in the US

We Recycle Solar expanded its Yuma, Ariz.-based solar panel recycling operation. With the addition of new lines of machinery and enhanced technology, the plant now boasts the highest processing capacity in the nation, with the ability to process panels of every make and model, from any manufacturer, at a rate of up to 10 panels per minute.

ACC and Ambuja Cements launch new R&D center

ACC and Ambuja Cements launched a new research and development facility on the outskirts of Mumbai, India. The facility is designed to foster collaboration and development of innovative solutions to help drive progress, enhance cost optimization, and create sustainable solutions for the future of the cement and concrete industry.

Applied Materials to invest $4 bln in Silicon Valley chip research center

U.S. semiconductor toolmaker Applied Materials Inc. says it plans to spend up to $4 billion on a research center in Sunnyvale, Calif., to speed up advances in semiconductor manufacturing. The center will come online in 2026.

Infinity Power inks deal to bring energy via 3 GW submarine cable to Greece

Infinity Power and Greek infrastructure investor Copelouzos Group signed a memorandum of understanding to develop a project to carry green energy from Egypt to Europe. The project involves the electrical interconnection between the countries through a submarine cable of 3 GW capacity and the possibility of bidirectional energy transmission.

ACQUISITIONS AND COLLABORATIONS

Vitro announces second Vitro X Innovation partnership

Vitro Architectural Glass announced a second partnership within its new Vitro X Innovation Partnerships program. The collaboration is with Chicago-based ClearShield Technologies, a subsidiary of Ritec International Limited. ClearShield is a glass surface renovation, protection, and maintenance system that converts ordinary glass into nonstick glass.

State of Michigan signs MOU to establish global semiconductor center of excellence

Michigan governor Gretchen Whitmer announced a new public–private partnership with semiconductor company KLA, Belgium-based technology innovation hub imec, the University of Michigan, Washtenaw Community College, and General Motors that will establish a global semiconductor center of excellence in Michigan.

Micron launches US–Japan university partnership for semiconductors

Micron Technology, Inc. launched the U.S.–Japan University Partnership for Workforce Advancement and Research & Development in Semiconductors (UPWARDS) for the Future. The partnership will drive emerging research while increasing the pipeline of students studying semiconductor curriculum.

OTHER STORIES

Colorado School of Mines, Carbon America awarded $32.6m from DOE CarbonSAFE

Colorado School of Mines, Carbon America, and Los Alamos National Laboratory were awarded $32.6 million in funding from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Carbon Storage Assurance Facility Enterprise (CarbonSAFE) initiative to advance the development of a potential carbon storage hub for the Pueblo, Colo., area.

Plug Power stock soars after three new deals for green hydrogen electrolyzers in Europe

Shares of Plug Power Inc. charged up 12.4% last Monday after the company said it landed three deals in Europe for its green hydrogen-producing electrolyzers. The deals with Ardagh Glass Limmared AB, Hydro Havrand, and APEX Group will be the first use of industrial-scale green hydrogen in glass manufacturing, aluminum recycling, and steel manufacturing, respectively.

Concerns growing around Mars Sample Return mission

With NASA’s cost estimates for the Mars Sample Return mission rising, criticism is building in the scientific community and among members of Congress that it is siphoning money from other projects.

MARKET TRENDS

Undersea nodule mining might have a radioactive problem

Scientists at the Alfred Wegener Institute’s Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research who are studying metallic nodules in the Pacific Ocean near Mexico and Hawaii have found some may pose significant health risks.

Solar power due to overtake oil production investment for first time, IEA says

Investment in clean energy will extend its lead over spending on fossil fuels in 2023, the International Energy Agency said in a new report, with solar projects expected to outpace outlays on oil production for the first time.

NEW PRODUCTS

Large-scale condensate receiver tanks and other pressure vessels

Ross Engineering custom fabricates tanks, pressure vessels, and reactors up to 100,000 gallons or larger that are used throughout the process industries for various manufacturing and storage functions.

‘Geodes’ that detect lithium underfoot—with the help of some satellites

South Australian company Fleet Space Technologies created “geodes”—nine-kilogram devices, each about the size of a shoebox—that are designed to spot critical minerals, like lithium, in hard-to-reach places. Mining companies can rent the geodes out and then drive, walk, or helicopter them into an area of interest.

Rockford Combustion unveils upgraded website

Rockford Combustion launched a next-generation, newly revamped website providing educational, engineering, and eCommerce resources to enterprises that rely on fuel-fired burners for their thermal processes.