Ceramic and glass business news of the week for October 14, 2024

PLANTS, CENTERS, AND FACILITIES

Plibrico celebrates grand opening of new refractory production facility

Plibrico celebrated the grand opening of a new refractory production facility in Oak Hill, Ohio, with the Plibrico GO LIVE Showcase. The two-day event included a dedication ceremony, insightful training sessions, and an exclusive tour of Plibrico’s state-of-the-art production facility.

Canada invests in $65.8M AI-driven concrete demonstration plant

Innovation, Science, and Industry Canada announced a $17.5 million investment in Giatec Scientific Inc. to support the company’s $65.8 million project to develop sensor technologies using artificial intelligence to optimize concrete mixtures with a reduced carbon footprint.

World’s first manufacturing plant for rare-earth-free magnets opens in Minneapolis

Niron Magnetics, which says it is the world’s only producer of rare-earth-free permanent magnets, announced the opening of its commercial pilot plant in Minneapolis. In a separate announcement, Niron named the city of Sartell, Minn., as the site for its second manufacturing facility, which it said is expected to go into production in 2026.

Solar power in South Africa: A look at the country’s solar plants

In 2018, South Africa’s integrated resource plan called for 5.7 GW of solar power to be added to the grid by 2030, on top of the nearly 1.5 GW currently in use in the country. A GlobalData article lists some of the leading solar power plants in South Africa, which largely are based in the country’s Northern Cape region.

Israeli wave energy tech to create power In Taiwan

Eco Wave Power, an Israeli company that uses waves to create energy, signed an agreement to bring its technology to Taiwan. According to the agreement, the Tel Aviv-based company will sell its first wave energy generation unit to I-Ke International Ocean Energy, a subsidiary of leading maritime engineering company Lian Tat.

UC San Diego launches Fusion Engineering Institute

The University of California San Diego launched the new Fusion Engineering Institute. As part of this launch, UC San Diego is recruiting for two mechanical and aerospace engineering faculty positions in fusion engineering within the Jacobs School of Engineering.

ACQUISITIONS AND COLLABORATIONS

Comstock to acquire Quantum Generative Materials LLC

Comstock Inc. will effectively acquire all the equity in Quantum Generative Materials (GenMat), including GenMat’s artificial intelligence materials discovery platform, materials synthesis, and related assets, business, and most of the related technical team. Concurrently, Deep Prasad’s holding company will be receiving GenMat’s consolidated satellite, mission control software, other related low earth orbit assets, and space team.

UK seeks commercial, research partnerships with Singapore to further nuclear fusion research

With Singapore firms showing interest in contributing to the search for nuclear fusion solutions, the United Kingdom, which is launching its own mega fusion project, is eyeing potential research and commercial collaborations with organizations in that country.

US and UK researchers fabricate first capsules for advanced reactor materials testing

The United States and United Kingdom successfully fabricated test capsules made up of advanced metal alloys and graphite for use in future advanced reactors. The project supports a larger effort between the two countries to share nuclear energy user facility resources to advance civilian nuclear energy technologies.

American Resources and IRIS Metals to develop domestic production of battery-grade lithium

American Resources Corporation announced that its wholly owned subsidiary, ReElement Technologies Corp., a provider of high-performance refining capacity for rare earth and critical battery elements, signed a memorandum of understanding with IRIS Metals Ltd. for downstream lithium conversion and the production of battery grade lithium carbonate equivalent.

Dow and Carbice partner to advance thermal interface materials

Dow and Carbiceopens, a pioneer in carbon nanotube technology, announced a strategic, first-of-its-kind partnership to provide a multigenerational thermal interface material product offering for high-performing electronics in the mobility, industrial, and consumer industries, as well as semiconductors.

Anhui Conch Cement and AVIC International Beijing partner for cement decarbonization

Anhui Conch Cement and AVIC International Beijing entered a strategic agreement to combine their expertise and promote technological solutions for decarbonizing cement production. The collaboration aims to expand their cooperation to include building artificial intelligence-powered, smart, and “green” research and development platforms overseas.

OTHER STORIES

CelSian expands global operations with new appointments

CelSian has appointed new members at its offices in the U.S. and the Netherlands. This move is part of a strategy to strengthen the company’s global operations and better serve its expanding client base.

US and India award more than $2M in grants for joint AI and quantum research

Representatives from the U.S. and India recently celebrated the announcement of 17 winners for joint research, development, and commercialization projects under the “Quantum Technologies and AI for Transforming Lives” grant competition. Eleven AI projects and six quantum projects will aim to address critical challenges for societal impact, such as early cancer detection.

Uzbekistan and EU to increase extraction of rare earths and critical metals

Uzbekistan is launching a slate of promising projects focused on mining rare earth elements worth $500 million. The country recently signed a memorandum of understanding with the European Union in the field of critical raw materials development.

Norway poised to sail past opposition with deep-sea mining licensing plans

Norway is poised to move forward with plans to mine for seabed minerals along its continental shelf despite public opposition. There are currently three major deep-sea mining companies based in Norway: Loke Marine Minerals, Green Minerals, and Adepth Minerals.

Carbon storage gets thorough scrutiny in the Otways

The Otway International Test Center, run by the CO2CRC, has been injecting carbon dioxide into the ground for 20 years. This month, it is starting Stage 4 of the research, pumping 15,000  metric tons of CO2 1,500 meters below the surface at the rate of about 140 metric tons a day.

MARKET TRENDS

Fighting back against data centers, one small town at a time

As the tech industry pushes to build more of the giant facilities, residents in some communities are trying to block the projects—and winning.