PLANTS, CENTERS, AND FACILITIES

Backed by Australia, Iluka greenlights $750 million rare earths refinery

Iluka Resources committed to building Australia’s first rare earths refinery after lining up A$1 billion (US$749 million) in cheap debt from the government. At full tilt, the plant could supply up to 9% of the global rare earth oxide market.

ACI establishes Center of Excellence for Carbon Neutral Concrete

The American Concrete Institute launched NEU: An ACI Center of Excellence for Carbon Neutral Concrete to collaborate globally to drive research, education, awareness, and adoption of carbon neutral materials and technologies in the industry.

Knauf Insulation opens €15 million glass mineral wool recycling facility

Knauf Insulation opened a €15 million Glass Mineral Wool recycling facility in Visé, Belgium. The company says the facility will pave the way for an exciting new recycling service for the construction and deconstruction industry.

Stoelzle unveils €1 million high-speed spraying line at glass decoration site

Stoelzle Częstochowa started a high-speed spraying line at its decoration site in Poland. The decoration line is the fourth spray line at the site. The high-speed line, which was set up with a €1 million investment, is planned to reach a daily output of more than 100,000 sprayed bottles.


ACQUISITIONS AND COLLABORATIONS

Successful closing of ceramic tile distributors acquisition

Aurelius announced the successful closing of the acquisition of Ceramic Tile Distributors in a carve-out transaction from parent company, Saint-Gobain. This acquisition is the fourth one completed by Aurelius’ co-investment structure.

NANOE and KIMYA to bring Zetamix to North America

NANOE, a French producer of ceramics for additive manufacturing, and KIMYA, also a French additive manufactured materials and R&D company, are forming an exclusive commercial partnership to bring Zetamix ceramic filaments (and metallic filaments) to the U.S. and Canada.

ASEAN Ceramics 2022 to take place Nov. 30–Dec. 2 in Thailand

Messe Munchen announced its collaboration with Asian Exhibition Services in September 2021 to take ASEAN Ceramics to a new international level of excellence in the two key markets for the region—Thailand and Vietnam. The exhibition and conference will continue to alternate between Thailand and Vietnam every year.

Boulder’s two-way electric vehicle charging system shows savings in first year

Boulder is finding success a year into a pilot program testing a bidirectional electric vehicle charging system at the North Boulder Recreation Center. The Colorado city partnered with Fermata Energy, a Virginia-based energy technology company, to test the electric vehicle charging system.

​​Laser fusion for a sustainable future: SCHOTT offers solutions for groundbreaking projects

SCHOTT is advancing innovations in specialty glass that promote a more sustainable future and is well on its way to achieving climate neutrality by 2030. Learn more about these innovations in a recent press release.


MARKET TREND

Spain to spend 11 billion euros on semiconductor and microchip industry

Spain will spend 11 billion euros on a plan to boost the semiconductor and microchip industry. The new spending plan, mainly financed through European Union pandemic relief funds, is expected to be approved soon.

Solar was fastest-growing source of electricity in 2021, lead by Australia

U.K.-based think tank Ember’s third annual Global Electricity Review shows that global solar generation rose by 23% in 2021, increasing year-on-year by 188 TWh to 1,023 TWh. At the vanguard of this growth is Australia, a country sourcing 12% of its electricity from solar, the highest proportion in the world.

Seabed regulator accused of deciding deep sea’s future ‘behind closed doors’

The International Seabed Authority, a UN-affiliated organization that oversees deep-sea mining, has been accused of failings of transparency after an independent body responsible for reporting on negotiations was kicked out.

Driving ethically: Understanding the sustainability of electric cars

A resource guide by AutoTrader looks at the history of electric vehicles, how they impact the planet, future challenges for electric car uptake, and tips for buying and owning an electric car responsibly.


NEW PRODUCTS

Japan Fine Ceramics Association publishes FC Roadmap 2050, English version

The Japan Fine Ceramics Association published “FC Roadmap 2050 (2021 Edition, English version),” which is a precise translation of the Japanese version published December 2021. The Roadmap consists of two parts: a core part on future ceramic technologies, and a supplement survey for opinions of researchers and engineers from over the world.

Nosotros releases 100% recycled glass bottles

Nosotros Tequila & Mezcal announced its shift to 100% recycled glass bottles for all products, an effort that started at the beginning of 2022.

Plibrico supports ELYSIS in launch of zero-carbon aluminum smelter technology

The Plibrico Company announced its refractories are being used by ELYSIS to safeguard the operation of the world’s first carbon-free aluminum smelter. ELYSIS smelting technology takes the novel approach of leveraging an inert anode that eliminates all greenhouse gas emissions, emitting instead only pure oxygen as its by-product.

Author

Lisa McDonald