PLANTS, CENTERS, AND FACILITIES
Pilkington UK opens glass production line in St Helens
Pilkington UK has launched a glass production line at its Greengate Works site in St. Helens. Pilkington UK now manufactures all glass from one furnace in the town instead of the two between Greengate Works and Watson Street Works.
World’s largest sand battery enters operation in Finland
The Loviisan Lämpö power station commissioned the world’s largest sand battery, a high-temperature thermal energy storage system, from Polar Night Energy. The industrial-scale sand battery, which delivers 1 MW of thermal power and offers a storage capacity of 100 MWh, now serves as the main production facility for the district heating network in Pornainen, Finland.
LG Energy Solution opens first US large-scale LFP battery plant for energy storage
LG Energy Solution started producing lithium-iron phosphate (LFP) batteries for energy storage at its expanded facility in Holland, Mich., in May 2025. It is the first facility to produce LFP batteries at scale in the United States.
China plans world’s first fusion–fission power plant
China plans to start construction of the world’s first fusion–fission power plant, with the aim of generating 100 MW of continuous electricity for the national grid by 2030. The facility will be built on Yaohu Science Island in the hi-tech zone of Nanchang, Jiangxi province, in central China.
New York plans new advanced nuclear power plant upstate
New York plans to build an advanced nuclear plant with the ability to produce at least 1 gigawatt of power, which would be one of the first new U.S. reactors in a generation.
Energy Fuels poised to produce six rare earth oxides subject to Chinese export controls
U.S.-based Energy Fuels Inc. announced that it successfully developed the technology it believes is required to produce at scale six of the seven rare earth oxides that are subject to recently enacted Chinese export controls.
ACQUISITIONS AND COLLABORATIONS
SINTX Technologies acquires SiNAPTIC surgical assets and IP
SINTX Technologies, Inc. executed a definitive agreement to acquire the surgical business assets of SiNAPTIC Holdings, LLC, a privately held company focused on silicon nitride ceramic manufacturing and innovation. This transaction expands SINTX’s product portfolio in the foot and ankle fusion market.
Hindalco to acquire US-based AluChem for $125M
Hindalco Industries Limited, the metals flagship of the Aditya Birla Group, announced the acquisition of a 100% equity stake in U.S.-based AluChem Companies, Inc., a prominent manufacturer of specialty alumina, for an enterprise value of US$125 million.
US, China formalize deal on rare earth shipments in trade breakthrough
Last Friday, China signaled it would approve the export of rare earth minerals to the U.S., hours after White House officials said the two sides had reached a deal, in what would be a major breakthrough following weeks of negotiations over U.S. access to the key materials.
ASTM and Nikon Advanced Manufacturing to develop manufacturing training programs
ASTM International and Nikon Advanced Manufacturing Inc. partnered to train the next generation of manufacturing professionals through programs tailored to the needs of the U.S. Department of Defense.
DTEK and Octopus launch €100M renewables initiative for Ukraine
Ukraine’s private energy company DTEK and Octopus Energy Group announced the launch of the Resilient Independent Solar Energy initiative aimed at raising €100 million (US$115.16 million) to deliver renewable energy projects in Ukraine. The initiative will secure the funding to finance 100 on-site energy projects over three years.
Paragon Energy Solutions enters strategic agreement on small modular reactor technology
Paragon Energy Solutions entered into a strategic agreement with NuScale Power Corporation, a provider of proprietary and innovative advanced small modular reactor nuclear technology. Paragon will supply its CoreVision neutron monitoring system technology and its highly integrated protection system to NuScale.
OTHER STORIES
China unveils metrology plan to boost chip, quantum fields by 2030
China announced a five-year plan aimed at driving innovation in metrology. Released by the State Administration for Market Regulation, the 2030 plan prioritizes breakthroughs in chip technology and quantum-scale measurement.
DOE issues Request for Information to provide feedback on Critical Materials Assessment
The U.S. Department of Energy issued a Request for Information seeking public feedback on DOE’s draft Critical Materials Assessment. Responses must be submitted electronically to EnergyCriticalMaterialsRFI@ee.doe.gov no later than 5 p.m. Eastern on July 25, 2025.
France food safety agency finds glass bottles may contain more microplastics than plastic ones
Drinks sold in glass bottles may contain more microplastic particles than those in plastic ones, according to a surprising new study by France’s food safety agency. The agency found that the microplastic particles in the glass bottles corresponded to the color and polymer composition of the paint on their caps, indicating the caps were likely the main source of contamination.
Cardinal Glass Industries declares war on carbon emissions
In an industry-first initiative, Cardinal Glass Industries is partnering with Padova, Italy-based K2-CO2, a global leader in carbon dioxide capture systems, to achieve an extraordinary 95% CO2 capture rate in its glass production process.
MARKET TRENDS
UK glass industry electricity prices to become more competitive
The Modern Industrial Strategy 2025 is a 10-year plan to increase business investment and grow the industries of the future in the U.K. An uplift in the Network Charge Compensation, from 60% to 90%, will be provided in the Industrial Strategy from 2026 to give the U.K. glass sector a similar electricity cost to EU competitors.
How Chris Wright is remaking the national labs
The Trump administration’s fiscal 2026 budget proposal would slash major programs at the Department of Energy’s labs, which have been cornerstones of U.S. research for decades. Those proposed cuts come as Energy Secretary Chris Wright pledges a federal focus on artificial intelligence, fusion energy, and other areas of potential scientific breakthroughs.
NEW PRODUCTS
NUTEC Bickley: High-precision shuttle kiln for ceramic core sintering
Against strong international competition, NUTEC Bickley won the contract to supply a four-car shuttle kiln to one of the world’s foremost energy technology companies. This kiln will be installed at the customer’s investment casting facility and will be used to sinter the ceramic cores that are so important for the process.
TNO and Solarge unveil lightweight perovskite solar module prototype
Photovoltaic manufacturer Solarge and the Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research developed a lightweight perovskite solar module prototype measuring 32 cm x 34 cm by combining roll-to-roll processing and low-weight panel materials. The partners aim to scale the technology for broader commercial applications.
Xiaomi files solid-state EV battery patent with layered electrode design
Chinese tech giant Xiaomi filed a new patent for a layered electrode design for solid-state batteries. The company claims its prototype features a cell-to-body design with a volume efficiency of 77.8%.
US startup unveils lithium battery that lasts 1,300 cycles
Boston-based Pure Lithium is building a pilot plant for a new kind of lithium metal battery that reportedly can be built entirely without Chinese inputs. The company’s design eliminates the need for graphite, cobalt, nickel, and manganese—minerals either sourced from or processed in China—replacing them with a streamlined system that taps lithium extracted from brine.
Author
Lisa McDonald
