PLANTS, CENTERS, AND FACILITIES

Singapore glass technology company sets up shop in Columbus, Ohio

Singapore company Nodis, which developed a less-expensive way to produce active smart glass, plans to open a factory in Columbus, Ohio, to manufacture its key “nano particle” component, which will be applied to a film in Korea before being shipped to glass manufacturers worldwide to embed in the final smart glass product.

Orora successfully completes furnace rebuild

Australian glass packaging company Orora completed rebuild of the G2 furnace at its Gawler, South Australia site earlier this year, just as the pandemic began to impact. A second, $10 million forming line was also upgraded, which will add 10 million bottles to its annual capacity.

Siemens launches manufacturing transformation center to support industry 4.0 adoption

Siemens launched its new Advance Manufacturing Transformation Center on September 10 to provide guidance, support, and training to companies in Southeast Asia as they  journey toward advanced manufacturing. The center comprises a Digital Enterprise Experience Center, Additive Manufacturing Experience Center, and Rental Labs.


ACQUISITIONS AND COLLABORATIONS

CNL announces SMR research partnership with Kairos Power

Canadian Nuclear Laboratories announced a collaboration agreement with U.S.-based Kairos Power, which is working to develop and license fluoride salt-cooled small modular reactor technology. The agreement will cover research and engineering of technologies to separate, analyze, and store tritium generated through the reactor’s operation.

Encavis partners on Danish subsidy-free solar

Encavis and GreenGo Energy announced plans for a subsidy-free solar farm in Denmark, as part of an agreement between the two companies to finance and develop 500 MW-plus of projects. GreenGo chief executive Karsten Nielsen said the project, named M30, will cover an area of more than 360 hectares of land under lease.

Swansea University and Enserv to develop advanced energy storage systems

A Swansea University research team will form a new partnership with major global energy solutions provider Enserv Power to develop and commercialize advanced and sustainable energy storage systems through the newly established interdisciplinary Centre of Excellence: CAPTURE (Circular Applications to Utilise and Retain Energy).

Sintavia and Siemens to collaborate on additive manufacturing software development

Metal additive manufacturing provider Sintavia announced it is working with Siemens on the development of an end-to-end additive manufacturing software solution as a part of Siemens’ Xcelerator portfolio.

Chryso and Solidia partner to deploy ultra-low CO2 concrete

CHRYSO, a leader in construction chemicals, and Solidia Technologies, a start-up inventor of revolutionary technology for green cement and concrete, will collaborate to improve the sustainability performance and material properties of Solidia ultra-low CO2 concrete through their combined chemical expertise.

DOE, other federal agencies launch Federal Consortium for Advanced Batteries

The Department of Energy, Department of Commerce, Department of Defense, and Department of State launched the Federal Consortium for Advanced Batteries to accelerate development of a secure, domestic industrial base for advanced batteries. The Consortium is part of the strategy outlined in DOE’s Energy Storage Grand Challenge Draft Roadmap.


OTHER STORIES

Ceramics Expo Connect taking place September 21–25

Ceramics Expo will take place as a five-day virtual event this year, from September 21–25. The opening plenary on overcoming business continuity challenges caused by COVID-19 will feature Michael Silver (American Elements), Steve Pawlowski (CoorsTek), and Mark Wolf (Kyocera). You can register to attend for free here.

NRMCA to host Global Concrete Summit virtually in November

The National Ready Mixed Concrete Association announced its Global Concrete Summit will be held virtually from November 30 to December 10. The conference and exhibition will bring practitioners, researchers, and policy makers together to exchange the latest ideas, knowledge, and tools to build the future of concrete construction.

Glass Recycling Coalition awards first gold MRF glass certification

The Glass Recycling Coalition awarded the first-ever gold-level MRF Glass Certification to materials recovery facilities at Rumpke Waste & Recycling and Sims Municipal Recycling for their processes for cleaning up glass and integrated beneficiation.

COVID vaccine will require billions of glass vials—this Italian billionaire family makes them

A Forbes article profiles the Stevanato Group, an Italian multinational company headquartered in Piombino Dese, Padua, Italy. Began 71 years ago by crafting specialty bottles for perfume and wine, the Stevanato Group is now positioned to profit from packaging pandemic cures.

Rare earth recycler draws $28 million in federal funding

Texas-based Urban Mining Co., which uses an innovative process to recycle rare earth magnets, received $28.8 million in financial backing as part of the U.S. response to the coronavirus pandemic.

China seeks to dent coal addiction with mega power complexes

A Bloomberg article looks at the viability of China’s plans to reduce its reliance on coal by combining dirty and clean energy in mega power complexes.

Energy tech venture launches in the Middle East to create a regional paradigm shift

AFKAR Ventures, a MENA-based first mover in energy tech, brings together a team of the region’s leaders in energy, engineering, fintech, and management. The founding team consists of six globally experienced members looking to seed startups as well as invest in established companies in energy and technology.


MARKET TRENDS

World added more solar, wind than anything else last year

According to a report by BloombergNEF, solar and wind made up the majority of the world’s new power generation last year, up from less than a quarter in 2010. Solar additions totaled 119 gigawatts, representing 45% of all new capacity.

Portugal solar auction surpasses government expectations for record-low bidder

Portugal’s record-breaking solar auction “exceeded expectations,” according to a top government official, confirming Spanish company Enerland had the lowest bid. Enerland paid US$0.0131/kWh for a 10 MW lot in the auction, below the most recent industry record tariff of US$0.0135/kWh set by the Al Dhafra project in Abu Dhabi in April.

US House lawmakers introduce bipartisan bill to advance agencies’ use of electric vehicles

Bipartisan legislation introduced in the United States House would make it easier for federal agencies to charge their government-provided electric vehicles. This bill, which is a companion measure to a bill previously passed in the Senate, marks a deliberate move to further the U.S. government’s use and purchase of eco-friendly automobiles.

China dominates the global lithium battery market

An Institute for Energy Research article overviews China’s hold on the global lithium battery market. For example, in 2019, Chinese chemical companies accounted for 80% of the world’s total output of raw materials for advanced batteries. And of the 136 lithium-ion battery plants in the pipeline to 2029, 101 are based in China.

Large-scale solar deployment picks up in Spain

Photovoltaic deployment has surged in Spain in recent weeks, with a number of unsubsidized large-scale projects now in development, after the market segment screeched to a halt due to the pandemic.

Author

Lisa McDonald