Ceramic and glass business news of the week for June 24, 2024

PLANTS, CENTERS, AND FACILITIES

Google to invest $2.3B in Ohio data centers; executives address power grid concerns

Google announced it is investing an additional $2.3 billion into its data centers in central Ohio. The Ohio Consumers’ Counsel is keeping an eye on these expansions to protect residential users from having the costs associated with the power usage of these data centers passed along to them.

onsemi to invest $2B in SiC facility in Czech Republic

U.S. chipmaker onsemi plans to invest up to $2 billion to establish a silicon carbide semiconductor manufacturing facility in the Czech Republic. onsemi’s proposed plant will focus on producing power semiconductors crucial for enhancing energy efficiency in electric vehicles, renewable energy systems, and artificial intelligence data centers.

World’s first wind turbine foundation poured from decarbonized concrete

Two French companies, independent green energy operator Valorem and construction firm Hoffmann Green Cement Technologies, announced they had poured the world’s first wind turbine foundation made from 0% clinker decarbonized concrete.

High-performance concrete research center attracts media attention

Spectrum News interviewed Konstantin Sobolev, professor of civil and environmental engineering at the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee, about the Concrete Advancement Network, a new federally funded research center he is directing that aims to make concrete more sustainable, durable, and less costly.

ACQUISITIONS AND COLLABORATIONS

Silica Networks acquires InterNexa’s telecom assets to feed network expansion

Silica Networks, a telecomms infrastructure company owned by Argentina’s Grupo Datco, acquired the fiber optic networks of Colombian competitor InterNexa. InterNexa’s network spans 2,500 km across Chile, Uruguay, Brazil, and Argentina. This deal positions Silica as one of the leading high-speed terrestrial broadband providers in the region.

ZF partners with NXP for silicon carbide EV traction inverters

Semiconductor stalwart NXP Semiconductors is teaming with drivetrain supply veteran ZF Friedrichshafen to provide the silicon carbide technology for a ZF electric vehicle traction inverter. NXP’s GD316x high-voltage isolated gate drivers enable the shift to 800-volt architectures that depend on silicon carbide power devices.

Solvay and Cyclic Materials sign supply agreement for recycled mixed rare earth oxide

Solvay S.A. and Cyclic Materials announced the signing of an agreement for the supply of recycled mixed rare earth oxide from Cyclic Materials to Solvay, with shipments to begin in late 2024.

Vietnam and Russia discuss nuclear energy collaboration

Vietnam and Russia signed a memorandum relating to the construction of a Center for Nuclear Science and Technology in Vietnam, with discussions also held over the future options of large-scale and small modular reactors in the country.

Corning collaborates with NIBRT to help accelerate cell therapy development

Corning Inc. announced a collaboration with the National Institute for Bioprocessing Research and Training. Under the agreement, Corning’s Ascent Fixed Bed Bioreactor System, which facilitates the efficient growth and harvesting of large quantities of viable cells, will be integrated into the institute’s training and curriculum programs.

OTHER STORIES

Solar ScaleUp Challenge: Facilitating connections between photovoltaic stakeholders

The Australian Renewable Energy Agency launched the Solar ScaleUp Challenge to help fund the commercialization and deployment of new solar technologies. Ideally, various photovoltaic stakeholders will form multidisciplinary teams to make joint submissions.

AGC Glass Europe: Sustainability update 2024

AGC Glass Europe is committed to reducing its carbon footprint by 30% by 2030 and achieving carbon-neutral glass production by 2050. The company just released an update on how it is progressing toward these goals.

Canadian government blocks sale of rare earths stockpile to Chinese company

The Canadian government stepped in to prevent the sale of rare earth materials from Vital Metals to Chinese buyer Shenghe Resources. Australian-based Vital Metals mines rare earths at its Nechalacho mine in Canada’s Northwest Territories and will instead sell its stockpile to the Saskatchewan Research Council for C$3 million.

MARKET TRENDS

The world’s on the verge of a carbon storage boom

An MIT Technology Review article looks at how hundreds of looming projects will force communities to weigh the climate claims and environmental risks of capturing, moving, and storing carbon dioxide.

These simple design rules could turn the chip industry on its head

An open standard called RISC-V is rewriting the economics of chip design and shaking up the tech sector’s power dynamics.

What will it take for smart glasses to replace smartphones?

Smart glasses have flopped before. A Freethink article considers how artificial intelligence could finally make them mainstream.

NEW PRODUCTS

Aviary: New NASA software platform for aircraft modeling

NASA created a new digital modeling tool for aeronautical engineers to innovate novel aircraft designs. Unlike past aviation modeling tools, Aviary can link with other codes and programs to expand and customize its capabilities.

JA Solar debuts 23.3%-efficient single-glass, antidust solar panel at SNEC

Chinese solar module maker JA Solar presented a new antidust TOPCon solar module at the SNEC tradeshow. The module has a power output up to 650 W and weighs 29.6 kg.

SiNAPTIC Technologies receives Colorado state grant to advance ceramic AM tech

SiNAPTIC Technologies was awarded an Early-Stage Capital and Retention Grant through the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade Advanced Industries Accelerator program to further development of SiNAPTIC’s printable silicon nitride slurry through testing toward submission of an FDA master file.

L&L FB435 furnace: Annealing, tempering, and heat treatment of steel and castings

The FB435 furnace from L&L Special Furnace can reach a maximum temperature of 1,850°F (1,010°C) and has working dimensions of 44″ width, 36″ height, and 60″ depth. The furnace operates in an air atmosphere, equipped with a vertical counterbalanced pneumatic door, and an 18″ diameter cast alloy fan.