Gypsum industry news
CSR to expand Welshpool gypsum wallboard plant
07 August 2024Australia: Saint-Gobain subsidiary CSR plans to expand its Welshpool gypsum wallboard plant in Western Australia. The producer plans to upgrade the plant’s production line and expand warehouses that serve it and the neighbouring Bradford building materials plant. CSR said that the upgrade to the Welshpool wallboard plant will reduce its consumption of natural gas and electricity and facilitate its transition to alternative fuels or electricity.
CEO Paul Dalton said "This significant investment will make Welshpool safer and more sustainable, increase capacity and improve productivity and cost efficiency, all while removing risk from our supply chain.”
Arslanlı commissions Elazığ gypsum wallboard plant
06 August 2024Türkiye: Arslanlı has commissioned its new Elazığ gypsum wallboard plant in Eastern Anatolia. ERBA Makina supplied equipment for the plant’s production line. In a post to LinkedIn, ERBA Makina project manager Kadir Ünlü said that the line has a capacity of 30m²/min.
Romania: Saint-Gobain Romania has inaugurated a new line at its Turda gypsum wallboard plant in Cluj County. Romania-Insider News has reported that the line cost €50m. The company had previously announced anticipated total investments €45m. All gypsum wallboard produced in the line will come with environmental product declarations (EPDs). Saint-Gobain Romania will employ an additional 100 people to work on the line, raising its total number of employees by 5% to 2000 people across 14 sites.
Saint-Gobain Romania CEO Ovidiu Pascutiu said "This new line, operating at optimal parameters, marks a significant step towards enhancing our production efficiency and expanding our product range to better serve our growing customer base."
Canada: USG subsidiary CGC has begun construction of its upcoming Wheatland gypsum wallboard plant in Alberta. The plant will be equipped with a captive solar power plant, and designed for maximum energy and water efficiency.
USG CEO Chris Griffin said "Today's groundbreaking marks a significant win for CGC operations in Western Canada and for our ambitious growth plans in Canada more broadly. This project underscores our commitment to being the best wallboard manufacturer to do business with, particularly as builders, governments and communities across Alberta and the West work to expand housing starts, accessibility and affordability."
Canadian Gypsum Company secures planning permission for upcoming US$153m Wheatland wallboard plant
09 May 2024Canada: Wheatland County Municipal Planning Commission has granted Canadian Gypsum Company permission to build a gypsum wallboard plant in Wheatland, Alberta. The Canadian Press has reported that the company, along with Invest Alberta Corporation and the government of Alberta, will invest US$153m in the project.
UK: Adaptavate has inaugurated its first pilot line to produce Breathaboard bio-based alternative wallboard. Breathaboard performs in the same way as ordinary gypsum wallboard, but sequesters and avoids additional CO2 emissions, reducing the board’s total carbon footprint by 4kg/m2. Adaptavate's production process uses fibrous and cellulosic by-products from agricultural crops, combined with minerals. It has a minimal water footprint and does not require natural gas.
Chief technical officer Jeff Ive said "The commissioning of our pilot line is the culmination of a year's hard work. We knew the solution had to be scalable for significant impact. With full-size boards produced on a continuously extruded process, we’re turning our vision into reality. This pilot line is a game changer for us, our industry, and the planet, laying the foundation for global replication of our core innovation."
Canadian Gypsum Company to build US$155m wallboard plant in Alberta
29 February 2024Canada: Canadian Gypsum Company (CGC) plans to build a US$155m gypsum wallboard plant in Wheatland County, Alberta. The producer has acquired 86.6 hectares of land near the town of Carseland. It will also use the site for a 15MW solar power plant. CGC has hired Duane Van Duuren as the upcoming plant’s general manager.
Van Duuren said "The solar field will be more than enough to support our energy needs with clean power, and so this is really exciting for our company. We want to bring the best products to Western Canada and be a great community member both socially and environmentally.”
Compagnie Marocaine de Plâtre et d’Enduit to build gypsum wallboard plant at Sidi-Tiji
19 January 2024Morocco: Compagnie Marocaine de Plâtre et d’Enduit (CMPE), a joint venture of Knauf and Groupe Safari Maroc, has announced plans for a new gypsum wallboard production facility in Sidi-Tiji, Marrakech–Asfi Region. CMPE expects that the plant will generate 100 direct and over 500 indirect jobs.
Groupe Safari Maroc CEO Saïda Lamrani Karim and Knauf general partner Jörg Kampmeyer said "Our investment decision in a new plasterboard plant shows our trust in the growth of the Moroccan market and will strengthen the leading position of CMPE.” They added “This investment aligns with the Moroccan government's guidance to reduce imports and develop a competitive local industry of excellence. With our new production, we will supply the Moroccan market and export to Sub-Saharan markets."
Saint-Gobain Gyproc’s Abu Dhabi gypsum wallboard plant recycles 22,000t of gypsum since 2014
08 January 2024UAE: The wallboard recycling unit at Saint-Gobain Gyproc’s Abu Dhabi gypsum wallboard plant has processed 22,000t of gypsum since 2014, the L'Usine Nouvelle newspaper has reported. The producer said that the Abu Dhabi plant can incorporate 10 – 12% recycled materials in its gypsum wallboard production. It runs on a diversified energy supply, which in its most recent recorded month included 55% nuclear, 38% natural gas and 7% solar energy.
In 2023, Saint-Gobain reduced its non-recycled waste by 78% year-on-year and its water footprint by 14% from 2017 levels in the UAE.
Tajik government inaugurates Khatlon gypsum wallboard plant
02 January 2024Tajikistan: The government has inaugurated the new 30Mm2/yr Khatlon gypsum wallboard plant at Yavan. Central Asia Economic Outlook News has reported that the plant produces four different specifications of gypsum wallboard, as well as ceiling tiles and metal profiles and supports.