Gypsum industry news

France: Saint-Gobain’s sales grew by 5% on a like-for-like basis by Euro12.4bn in the first quarter of 2023 from Euro12bn in the same quarter in 2022. In real-terms sales increased in each business segment apart from Northern Europe, where a “sharp” downturn in new construction was reported. Sales volumes fell by 6%, with volumes down in all business segments apart from High Performance Solutions. Particular sales growth was noted in Southern Europe - Middle East & Africa due to a resilient renovation market. Gypsum wallboard and insulation products were reported as driving sales in North America.

India: UltraTech Cement has transported a shipment of 57,000t of phosphogypsum by coastal and inland waterways to its Gujarat plant at Kovaya in Amreli district. The subsidiary of Aditya Birla Group says this is the first operation of its kind in the country, according to Orissa Diary.

K C Jhanwar, the managing director of UltraTech Cement, said "The cement industry plays a pivotal role in driving the circular economy in India through the use of industrial and municipal waste in cement manufacturing. This industry-first initiative of UltraTech Cement in using inland and coastal waterways for transport of phosphogypsum will help to further strengthen the role of the cement sector in driving the circular economy in India."

The cement company sourced the phosphogypsum from the Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative and Paradeep Phosphates. Legacy stock of the by-product from fertiliser plants in the country are estimated to be about 70Mt.