Ceramic and glass business news of the week for April 22, 2024

PLANTS, CENTERS, AND FACILITIES

Fortera lowers carbon emissions with opening of its first industrial green cement plant

Materials technology company Fortera opened its Redding ReCarb Plant, the first industrial green cement and carbon mineralization facility in North America and one of the largest of its kind in the world.

SCHOTT conducts industrial glass trials with 100% hydrogen

After successfully testing glass production with 100% hydrogen on a laboratory scale in 2023, speciality glass manufacturer SCHOTT has now completed its industrial-scale application. For three days, the manufacturer melted optical glass in a furnace using its new technology for the first time, exclusively heated by hydrogen and no natural gas.

NanoTech Materials expands Texas operations for energy-efficient building materials

NanoTech Materials, Inc. moved into a 42,545-square-foot facility in the greater Houston area to meet demand for its Cool Roof Coat. The new facility has the capacity to produce enough coating material to cover over 55 million square feet annually.

Europe’s largest photovoltaic plant goes online

German investment firm Hansainvest Real Assets inaugurated a 605-MW solar plant in Witznitz, Germany. The facility is Europe’s largest operational photovoltaic project.

New UK Center of Excellence for Additive Manufacturing launched at MACH 2024

The University of Wolverhampton entered into a partnership with 3D printer manufacturers EOS and AMCM to launch the new U.K. Center of Excellence for Additive Manufacturing. This collaboration aims to advance materials and manufacturing processes for copper 3D printing in the space, automotive, aerospace, electronics, and quantum computing sectors.

Ames National Laboratory leads launch of new critical materials research facility

Ames National Laboratory will partner with eight other Department of Energy national laboratories to support the Critical Materials Supply Chain Research Facility recently announced by the Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management. Ames Lab will lead the Critical Materials Refinery Center, one of four centers to be established in the facility.

ACQUISITIONS AND COLLABORATIONS

Ambuja Cements to acquire My Home Group’s grinding unit in Tamil Nadu

Ambuja Cements plans to acquire My Home Group’s cement grinding unit at Tuticorin in Tamil Nadu for a total value of ₹413.75 crore. The total cement capacity of Adani Group stands at 78.9 million tonnes per annum.

Tonogold to acquire US uranium company JAG Minerals

Tonogold Resources signed a term sheet agreement to acquire a 100% stake in JAG Minerals, which fully owns JAG Minerals USA. This move is set to bolster Tonogold’s portfolio with three significant uranium and vanadium projects in the west-central U.S.

Penn State, Morgan Advanced Materials partner to improve semiconductor materials

The Pennsylvania State University and Morgan Advanced Materials signed a memorandum of understanding to catalyze research and development of silicon carbide. This agreement includes a five-year, multimillion-dollar initiative and a commitment by Morgan to become a founding member of the recently launched Penn State Silicon Carbide Innovation Alliance.

US, Norway deepen critical minerals cooperation

A new agreement between the United States and Norway aims to further strengthen the two countries’ strategic cooperation on the sustainable production of critical minerals. The agreement identifies appropriate responses to nonmarket policies and practices in third countries that have contributed to volatile, distorted market conditions.

OTHER STORIES

Fine porcelain maker Maruwa becomes the hottest bet for cooling AI data centers

Japanese company Maruwa, with more than two centuries of history in ceramic art and fine porcelain tableware, has emerged as a surprise beneficiary of the technology sector’s intensifying war against heat.

Nissan’s solid-state plans revealed: SSB-powered EVs by 2029

Automotive giant Nissan unveiled its plans for solid-state battery-powered electric vehicle production at the site of its under-construction pilot line. The company said it is aiming to achieve mass production of solid-state batteries by early 2029, with commercial production of electric vehicles set to start in fiscal year 2028–2029.

NioCorp eyes rare earth magnet recycling

Rare earth miner NioCorp Developments plans to start a research project to evaluate the feasibility of recycling rare earth permanent magnets. The initiative will focus on creating a process to efficiently convert used neodymium–iron–boron magnets into separated rare earth oxides for new magnet production.

DOE releases roadmap to connect more clean energy to the nation’s electric grid

The U.S. Department of Energy released a new roadmap outlining solutions to speed up the interconnection of clean energy onto the nation’s transmission grid and clear the existing backlog of solar, wind, and battery projects seeking to be built.

MARKET TRENDS

The riches in Europe’s mountains of metals waste

Waste from the production of aluminum, nickel, and other industrial materials offers the European Union an opportunity to advance its recycling goals.

Rooftop solar generates more than 10% of Australia’s electricity

Rooftop solar now accounts for 11.2% of Australia’s electricity supply, with households and businesses playing a leading role in Australia’s renewable energy transition, according to the Clean Energy Council’s new “Rooftop Solar and Storage Report.”

Australian solar manufacturing through the looking glass

The Silicon to Solar report, partly funded by the Australian Renewable Energy Agency, outlines ways to restore solar manufacturing to the nation with a little help from the country’s major trading partner, China.

The role of carbon credits in scaling up innovative clean energy technologies

The International Energy Agency released a report looking at how high-quality carbon credits could accelerate the adoption of low-emissions hydrogen, sustainable aviation fuels, and direct air capture.

NEW PRODUCTS

Bioactive glass powder from SCHOTT enables new generation of hair dye

Skin-friendly bioactive glass powder Vitryxx from SCHOTT offers an alternative to ammonia and 2-ethanolamine as an odorless and pH-boosting active ingredient in permanent hair dyes.