Ceramic and glass business news of the week for February 19, 2024

PLANTS, CENTERS, AND FACILITIES

Decarbonization pilot project turns 78% of marine emissions into limestone

London startup Seabound partnered with global shipping company Lomar to install carbon capture equipment on one of its older and dirtier-burning container ships. The equipment captured at least 78% of emissions from the smokestacks and converted it into limestone pebbles, which can be offloaded and sold.

Minesto’s first megawatt-scale tidal kite power plant begins production

Renewable energy firm Minesto’s first megawatt-scale tidal power plant, Dragon 12, rated at 1.2 MW, successfully delivered its first electricity to the national grid of the Faroe Islands following a seamless commissioning process on February 12.

Ardagh Glass Packaging launches second solar energy plant in the Netherlands

Ardagh Glass Packaging-Europe’s solar power plant at its facility in Moerdijk, the Netherlands, has started to supply renewable electricity on site. The glass packaging manufacturer said the plant will reduce the facility’s carbon footprint by an estimated 725 tonnes of CO₂ annually.

SOLARCYCLE to create 600 jobs in Polk County at first-of-its-kind solar panel glass plant

SOLARCYCLE, an advanced technology-based solar recycling company, will create more than 600 new full-time jobs in Polk County, Ga., investing an estimated $344 million in a solar glass manufacturing facility in Cedartown. The facility will be the first-of-its-kind in the country to use recycled materials from retired solar panels to make new solar glass.

Government of Manitoba gives approval for solar glass manufacturing project

The Government of Manitoba said it green-lighted Canadian Premium Sand to go ahead with a project that will see silica sand extracted from Hollow Water First Nation and processed in a solar glass manufacturing facility coming soon to Selkirk. The facility is expected to produce up to 800 tonnes of solar glass per day.

Visy invests $50 million in Australian glass recycling facility

Visy unveiled a $50 million upgrade to its Laverton glass recycling factory in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. At capacity, the modernized plant can recycle all of Victoria’s recyclable glass, doubling Visy’s glass recycling capability in the Australian state.

ACQUISITIONS AND COLLABORATIONS

Qcells partners with SOLARCYCLE to recycle solar panels

Qcells, a clean energy solutions provider in U.S. residential and commercial markets, will partner with SOLARCYCLE, a technology-based solar recycling company, to recycle Qcells’ decommissioned, owned and installed solar panels in the country.

German recyclers collaborate on new Czech glass recycling plant

German recycling companies Reiling and Schirmbeck joined forces to build a glass recycling plant in the Czech Republic. They founded a joint company last year called SR Glass Recycling. The joint company owns a site in the Chomutov region, where the new glass recycling plant is being built.

Blackpool makes waves as the UK’s pioneer in seashell concrete testing

The University of Central Lancashire collaborated with Blackpool-based company LeftCoast created concrete using locally sourced whelks and scallop shells. They laid the eco-friendly concrete at Bostonway Community Garden in Blackpool.

DOE and NOAA kick off initiative to improve accurate forecasting for offshore wind farms

The U.S. Department of Energy and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration launched an 18-month initiative to gather extensive weather, ocean, and wildlife data near the sites of active offshore wind farms and lease areas off the coast of the Northeast United States.

OTHER STORIES

Call for papers: Inaugural ‘Root Cause Analysis, Africa Conference’

The inaugural Root Cause Analysis, Africa Conference will take place June 5–7, 2024, in Cape Town, South Africa. The deadline for abstract submission to this conference is February 29.

Turkey–Syria earthquakes: construction shortcuts were a main cause of casualties

A new, independent field investigation into the aftermath of the Turkey–Syria earthquakes found that a drive for profit pushed all players within the construction industry to take shortcuts, with building stock primarily made of reinforced concrete structures being the main cause of the casualties.

UW-Madison launches environmental sustainability initiative

The University of Wisconsin-Madison is launching an environmental sustainability initiative that includes launching a Sustainability Research Hub in spring 2024 and procuring 100% renewable energy by 2030 and net-zero emissions by 2048.

Biden-Harris Administration announces $63 million to accelerate heat pump manufacturing

As part of President Biden’s “Investing in America” agenda, the U.S. Department of Energy announced the availability of $63 million to accelerate the growth of domestic manufacturing of residential heat pumps, heat pump water heaters, and other heat pump systems and components.

MARKET TRENDS

Atlantic Ocean currents may collapse, which could plunge Europe into a deep freeze

An abrupt shutdown of Atlantic Ocean currents that could put large parts of Europe in a deep freeze may arrive sooner than anticipated according to a new complex computer simulation that found a “cliff-like” tipping point only decades, rather than centuries, away.

Declining consumer confidence in the US energy system highlights need for action

The EY Energy Consumer Confidence Index reveals an 8-point plunge in consumer confidence toward the U.S. energy system, tumbling from 64.8 in 2022 down to 56.9 today. Most U.S. consumers believe they are doing everything they can to be sustainable (68%), but only 30% feel confident their energy will remain affordable.

NEW PRODUCTS

Trina Solar begins mass production of 505W PV modules

Chinese solar manufacturer Trina Solar began mass production of its new Vertex S+ 505W n-type dual-glass solar modules. The solar panels combine n-type i-TOPCon technology with 210-mm rectangular silicon wafer cell technology in a dual-glass module that yields up to 505W power with an efficiency of 22.7%.

Westinghouse initiates UK generic design assessment for AP300 small modular reactor

Westinghouse Electric Company formally submitted an application to the U.K. Department of Energy Security and Net Zero for approval to enter the general design assessment of the AP300 small modular reactor. This step is the first in the formal licensing process within the U.K.

WVU close to commercializing microwave tech that can cool down industry’s energy usage

West Virginia University engineers secured $3 million in U.S. Department of Energy funding to research a new chemical reactor system that uses microwaves to reduce industrial heat and carbon emissions.