Ceramic and glass business news of the week for November 20, 2023

PLANTS, CENTERS, AND FACILITIES

Mercedes-Benz fast-charging network cleared for takeoff

Mercedes-Benz is making the first steps toward making the Mercedes-Benz High-Power Charging Network a reality, with the imminent opening of the first charging stations near its U.S. headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia. The company’s stated goal is to have 2,000 fast charging points worldwide by the end of 2024.

Kyocera Fineceramics Europe doubles its production capacity in Germany

Kyocera Fineceramics Europe GmbH plans to invest around 34 million euros in its two European sites in Mannheim (Baden-Württemberg) and Selb (Bavaria) in the current 2023/24 financial year.

NSG starts solar glass production line in Malaysia

NSG Group converted an existing float line at the Johor Bahru factory of Malaysian Sheet Glass to begin producing transparent conductive oxide glass. The investment is to support the expansion strategy of First Solar, an American manufacturer of solar panels, which has a long-standing strategic partnership with NSG Group.

Ionic Rare Earths moves closer to mining license in Uganda

Ionic Rare Earths is moving closer to finalizing a mining license in Uganda. The company announced it is now 92% complete with the land access agreements for its 60%-owned Makuutu Project.

ACQUISITIONS AND COLLABORATIONS

Arizona company acquires patented, soy-based concrete protectant developed in Indiana

Crafco Inc., an Arizona-based supplier of packaged pavement preservation solutions, acquired PoreShield, a patented, soy-based protectant that extends the service life of concrete. PoreShield was created through a research collaboration involving Purdue University, Indiana Soybean Alliance, and Indiana Department of Transportation.

Ohio State, Honda announce advanced battery center partnership for research, job training

Backed by $15 million from Honda, The Ohio State University announced that it will build a new center to advance battery cell research and development meant to also serve as a training hub for students and workers. The center is scheduled to open in April 2025.

BP Pulse & Tesla collaborate for $100m EV charging expansion in the US

BP announced a deal in which BP Pulse—BP’s electric vehicle charging business—will acquire ultrafast charging hardware units from Tesla for $100 million. The investment will facilitate the expansion of the BP Pulse public network across the U.S. The roll-out is planned to begin in 2024.

Ripple Glass and Owens Corning partner to expand glass recycling program in Atlanta

Ripple Glass, a company of North American glass recycler Strategic Materials, Inc., is collaborating with building materials leader Owens Corning to expand Ripple Glass’s glass recycling program in Atlanta, Georgia. Ripple Glass launched their expansion in Atlanta earlier this year.

OTHER STORIES

America Makes announces winners of IMPACT project call totaling $11.7 million

America Makes announced the winners of the “Improvements in Manufacturing Productivity via Additive Capabilities and Techno-Economic Analysis (IMPACT)” directed project call, worth a total of $11.7 million. Among the winners, Alfred University will support research and development of 3D-printed ceramic shell technology for investment casting.

AGC achieves solar glass recycling first

Japanese flat glass manufacturer AGC succeeded in a demonstration test to recycle about 24 tons of used solar panel cover glass into raw material cullet. The test used the heat treatment technology of the commercial solar panel recycling production line of Mitsubishi Chemical Group company Shinryo Corporation.

UK startup AEM raises $29 million to scale up rare earth, copper free EV motors

UK startup Advanced Electric Machines raised $29 million to scale up production of its electric vehicle motors that contain no rare earths or copper. AEM’s motors are already used in electric buses and other vehicles in Europe, North America, and Asia. The investment will enable production of a motor for both passenger and commercial vehicles.

MARKET TRENDS

Electric motorcycles in the US adopt DC fast charging

There has been an increasing adoption of direct-current fast charging for electric motorcycles in the U.S. A Battery Technology article gives a short overview of the companies making this change.

AGCM launches inquiry into glass wine bottle manufacturers

Italy’s competition authority, Autorita’ Garante della Concorrenza e del Mercato (AGCM), commenced an antitrust probe into several domestic glass manufacturers over an alleged wine bottle cartel.

Wind and solar energy are booming in surprising places

While communities that once hosted coal, oil, or gas infrastructure make up only 18.6% of the U.S. population, they received 36.8% of the clean energy investment in the year after the Inflation Reduction Act’s passage, according to the independent research firm Rhodium Group and MIT’s Center for Energy and Environmental Policy Research.

Clean tech is driving job growth in the energy sector, but skills shortages are a concern

A new report by the International Energy Agency found that while the number of jobs in the global energy sector rose in 2022, a growing number of energy industries are citing skilled labor shortages as a key barrier to ramping up activity.

NEW PRODUCTS

Perovskite solar cells that double as windows and walls

Panasonic Holdings is prototyping a new building-integrated photovoltaic panel. Sandwiching the perovskite between glass means that it can serve as a building’s actual facades and walls while also generating electricity.

Eco Material’s sustainable green cement is transforming construction

A team out of Texas and Utah, Eco Material Technologies, is building on ancient Rome’s know-how with advances in modern materials science to create a strong, erosion-resistant, and quick-setting concrete that practically eliminates carbon emissions.