Ceramic and glass business news of the week for June 26, 2023

PLANTS, CENTERS, AND FACILITIES

Ionic starts producing rare earth oxides at Belfast recycling plant

Australian rare earth elements producer Ionic Rare Earths started producing recycled magnet rare earth oxides at a demonstration facility in Belfast, U.K. The plant is expected to receive a steady supply of magnets for recycling from various sources, such as end-of-life wind turbines, used electric vehicles, and magnetic resonance imaging systems.

Lynas Rare Earths gets $14 million Australian government grant to develop a project

 Lynas Rare Earths won a A$20 million (US$13.5 million) government grant to develop a new leach circuit project to process apatite-rich ore at its Mt. Weld site in western Australia. The project is expected to be completed by the end of 2024.

Canadian Solar reveals plans to set up first manufacturing facility in the US

Canadian Solar Inc. announced that it is establishing a facility in Mesquite, Texas, for solar photovoltaic module production. This facility, which will have a total annual output of approximately 5 GW, will be the first manufacturing unit of the company that is located in the United States.

Intel plans semiconductor plant in Poland as Europe aims to boost chip production

Intel plans to build a $4.6 billion semiconductor assembly and test facility near the southwestern city of Wroclaw, Poland, giving the country a coveted place in the chip giant’s growing European production footprint. Intel already has a wafer fabrication site in Ireland and another planned in neighboring Germany.

GKN Aerospace unveils Global Technology Center in the Netherlands

GKN Aerospace opened its latest Global Technology Center in the Netherlands. This state-of-the-art facility is part of GKN Aerospace’s €80 million investment in the Netherlands. The center serves as a dynamic environment for research and accelerated development of the latest sustainable aerospace technologies.

NASA holds ribbon cutting for new Earth Information Center

NASA created the Earth Information Center with other federal agencies to improve accessibility to and visualization of publicly available data on climate change mitigation and adaptation. A ribbon cutting ceremony for the new center was held last Wednesday.

ACQUISITIONS AND COLLABORATIONS

Green energy plan to transform Botswana’s agriculture sector

The Botswana National Development Bank and German development agency Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit are collaborating on a green energy project to transform Botswana’s agriculture sector. The initiative seeks to provide subsidies to small and medium-sized off-grid farmers and horticulture producers in Botswana.

GE Aerospace, Clemson University announce research into advanced materials for flight

GE Aerospace and South Carolina-based Clemson University received a $10 million grant from the U.S. Air Force to continue joint research with Missouri University of Science and Technology on ceramic matrix composites.

NETL and AI partner enhance energy modeling techniques

The National Energy Technology Laboratory, in partnership with California-based Cerebras Systems Inc., is embracing new, efficient computer architecture that can accelerate research project simulations to make a clean energy economy a reality.

Arglass, The Upcycling Co. partner to expand glass collection network

Glass container manufacturer Arglass and The Upcycling Co. entered a strategic venture to collect clean glass in communities in Georgia and northern Florida. The Upcycling Co. already collects clean glass across locations in Georgia and South Carolina. The companies say the partnership will divert 210 million glass bottles from landfills every year.

OTHER STORIES

Baker Hughes awarded major subsea contract from Eni in Ivory Coast

Baker Hughes was awarded a major contract by Eni and its partner Petroci for the Baleine Phase 2 project in Ivory Coast, Africa’s first Scope 1 and 2 net-zero emissions development. Baker Hughes will deliver a configured-to-order product portfolio across subsea production and flexible pipe systems.

HWI unveils new brand identity

HarbisonWalker International, which announced in February 2023 that it would combine with Calderys, unveiled a new brand identity. The new look reflects HWI as a member of Calderys, the global refractories company’s brand in the Americas.

A profitable fuel-cell company finally emerges amid industrywide losses

Germany’s SFC Energy, a maker of methanol-powered fuel cells for portable and remote applications, reported in March 2023 that it had generated $1.8 million in profit on $78 million in sales in 2022. It is the first fuel cell company to earn a profit from this energy-generating technology.

DOE issues hydrogen energy strategy

The Department of Energy released a “U.S. National Clean Hydrogen Strategy and Roadmap” that examines the current status of hydrogen production, transport, storage, and use in the U.S. and proposes a framework for achieving large-scale production in the coming decades.

NREL awards $2 million in contracts to develop cadmium telluride solar cells

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory awarded $2 million to fund six projects to support the Cadmium Telluride Accelerator Consortium. Announced in August 2022, this three-year consortium is intended to accelerate the development of cadmium telluride technologies by lowering cost and increasing efficiency.

MARKET TRENDS

Countries powered by renewable energy recover faster from economic crises

Countries with a large amount of renewable energy recover fastest from economic crises, according to a study published in Ecological Economics. It examined 133 economic crises in 98 countries over a 40-year period (1970–2011).

EY lists India as world’s most attractive solar market

London-based Ernst & Young once again crowned India as the most attractive destination for photovoltaic investment, followed by China and the United States. For overall renewables investment, the United States retained the top position.

Norway to mandate solar power for new government buildings from 2024

All new government buildings in Norway should have solar panels from 2024 as part of a wider plan to expand the use of the technology. The deal is part of a wider agreement between Norway’s center-left minority government and the opposition Socialist Left Party on a revised fiscal budget for 2023.

Five big takeaways from Europe’s AI Act

The European Parliament voted to approve the AI Act, which has been heralded as one of the world’s most important developments in AI regulation. Though it will likely take around two years before the laws are actually implemented, MIT Technology Review details some of the potential implications.

NEW PRODUCTS

Rigaku ZSX Primus III NEXT: High-speed analysis in an affordable tube-above WDXRF

Rigaku Holdings released the ZSX Primus III NEXT. This new scanning wavelength dispersive X-ray fluorescence (WDXRF) spectrometer features Rigaku’s unique tube-above configuration and offers several upgrades on the successful ZSX Primus III+.

BellaSeno demonstrates its 3D-printed, resorbable scaffolds for bone reconstruction

BellaSeno GmbH, an ISO 13485-certified medtech company developing resorbable scaffolds using additive manufacturing technologies, announced comparative data on the biomechanical properties of different 3D-printed polycaprolactone/hydroxyapatite bone reconstruction scaffolds.

US startup Carbon Rivers says graphene is the answer to toxic tire chemical

Graphene added to tires could replace the toxic chemical 6PPD, U.S. startup Carbon Rivers says, as pressure mounts on the auto industry to eliminate the widely used compound that has polluted waterways. The company is working with regulators and testing could begin in the first quarter of 2024.

Bricking Solutions adds split bedding cart to refractory maintenance lineup

Bricking Solutions introduced a bedding cart with a split deck for increased access to brick during refractory brick installation. The standard split unit has a minimum width of 1.3 meters (4.25 feet) and fits kilns between 4–7 meters (13.08–23 feet) with sizing customization options.