Gypsum industry news

Romania: Saint-Gobain Romania has completed construction of a new 1730-panel solar power plant at its Turda gypsum wallboard plant in Cluj County. Electronics retailer Visual Fan supported the project, which will contribute ‘significantly’ to meeting the plant’s energy consumption. When commissioned, it will reduce the Turda plant’s CO₂ emissions by 238t/yr. Romania’s government partly funded the installation under its National Recovery and Resilience Plan.

Saint-Gobain Romania CEO Ovidiu Păscuțiu said “This project represents an important step for Saint-Gobain in the direction of adopting renewable energy and reinforcing our commitment to the environment. It is a concrete example of investments made to optimise our production processes by reducing internal energy consumption. We have an ambitious sustainability goal – net zero carbon emissions by 2050. We will achieve this by investing in innovation, new technologies and a portfolio of solutions that pave the way for lightweight and sustainable construction.”

Mexico: Saint-Gobain has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire construction chemicals producer Ovniver Group for US$815m. The parties expect to conclude the deal in early 2025. Ovniver Group produces its CeMix brand adhesives, renders, surface preparations and waterproofing products across 16 sites in Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras and the US.

Ovniver Group recorded revenues of US$285m in 2023, with an average annual growth rate of 20% over the past five years.

Peru: France-based Saint-Gobain has submitted a technical report for a proposed upgrade to its Huachipa facility. The project aims to optimise production and secure compliance with environmental regulations. Noticias Financieras News has reported that the work will cost US$259,000 and take up to eight weeks complete.

Australia: 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.”

Canada: Saint-Gobain Canada has partnered with Women Building Futures (WBF) as part of its Build Change corporate social responsibility programme. The partnership involves a donation and support for WBF’s training programmes and coaching. Together, the partners hope to increase the economic security of women in the construction sector.

CEO Julie Bonamy said "Women Building Futures’ work to remove barriers for women in industries where they are traditionally under-represented, like construction, is vital to creating the workforce of tomorrow, while ensuring everyone has an opportunity to succeed. At Saint-Gobain, we are proud to support this incredible organisation and are excited to get started to build change in our community and our industry."

France: Saint-Gobain reported sales of €23.5bn in the first half of 2024, down by 6% year-on-year from €25.0bn in the same period in 2023. The group reduced its capital expenditure by 5% to €583m. €255m (47%) of this was invested in new capacity, down by 7%. Group earnings before interest, taxation, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) dropped by 2% to €3.65bn from €3.74bn. During the reporting period, Saint-Gobain accelerated efforts to reinforce its profitable growth profile with acquisitions in the light and sustainable building materials segments in Australia, Canada, India and the Middle East. Saint-Gobain said that it exceeded 67% of operating income being generated in “high-growth geographies,” namely North America, Asia and emerging countries. It now expects “double-digit” operating margins in 2024, for the fourth consecutive full year.

Chair and CEO Benoit Bazin said "Our first-half results once again demonstrate the success of Saint-Gobain's new profile, reflecting the group's ability to adapt to different macroeconomic environments and to continue to outperform. The roll-out of our comprehensive range of sustainable and innovative solutions and the resulting enhancement in our mix, together with our decentralised organisation by country with accountability on commercial performance and on proactive cost management, have enabled us to deliver a new record operating margin and strong free cash flow generation. I am very grateful for our teams' dedication and their contribution to the group's consistent improvement in its performance."

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."

Romania: Saint-Gobain Romania has launched the Saint-Gobain National Trophy contest. The contest recognises exceptional projects due for completion by the end of 2024 which incorporate materials supplied by Saint-Gobain Romania. Local press has reported that judges will evaluate projects’ excellence in execution, sustainability and effective utilisation of their incorporated Saint-Gobain products. The company will receive submissions until 31 October 2024.

India: Saint-Gobain India plans to grow its gypsum business as part of a new investment phase, targeting revenues of US$4.3bn across its businesses by 2032. The Hindu newspaper has reported that this represents growth by a factor of three from 2023 levels. The investment phase will include total capex of US$719 – 959m from 2021 to 2025, with ‘significant’ allocations to gypsum activities. The company had invested US$1.58bn up to the end of 2023, including acquisitions in the gypsum wallboard segment.

Asia-Pacific and India regional CEO B Santhanam said "We have made huge investments in India, and quite a lot of them were in new plants."

Spain: Saint-Gobain Placo has launched Longips Premium plaster for interior coatings. The product offers an ‘enhanced formula’ with more consistent mixing, easier smoothing and optimised setting. It is available in 17kg bags with a new ‘modern, dynamic design.’

Saint-Gobain Placo said "The new Longips Premium solution reflects Placo's commitment to building better for people and the planet, always guided by Saint-Gobain Group's common purpose of making the world a better home."