Gypsum industry news

Romania: Saint-Gobain has begun construction of a new line at its Turda gypsum wallboard plant in Cluj county. The company plans to invest Euro45.0m in the project. The scheduled completion date is April 2023. The group says that the expansion aims to meet ‘rapidly growing’ local needs as well as those of the wider Central and Eastern European market, and to secure Saint-Gobain's leadership position within light construction.

France: Saint-Gobain recorded consolidated net sales of Euro38.1bn in 2020, down by 10% year-on-year from Euro42.6m in 2019. Earnings before interest, taxation, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) fell by 9% to Euro4.42bn from Euro4.87bn. Following a 12% like-for-like contraction in the first half of 2020, consolidated net sales grew by 5% on a like-for-like basis in the second half of 2020, with a 5% increase in gypsum wallboard volumes and a 1% increase in prices.

Chair and chief executive officer Pierre-André de Chalendar said, “The record results of the Group for second-half 2020 confirm the pertinence of the Group’s differentiation strategy and the success of its profound transformation begun several years ago. I would like to sincerely thank the teams for these excellent results achieved and for their unwavering commitment and solidarity."

US: Saint-Gobain in the US has entered into a 12-year Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with Invenergy, a leading privately held global developer and operator of sustainable energy solutions, for 120MW of the 250MW Blooming Grove Wind Farm capacity in McLean County, Illinois, which recently began operations.

This agreement is the largest renewable energy deal to date for Saint-Gobain and is a key milestone in supporting the group's target to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. The associated Renewable Energy Certificate System (RECS) represents 40% of the Group's CO₂ emissions from electricity in the US, resulting in a 21% reduction of Saint-Gobain's overall carbon footprint (scope 1 and 2) in the US.

With this agreement and other ongoing projects, the share of renewable electricity within Saint- Gobain's worldwide electricity consumption, will double in 2021, from 18.9% in 2020.

Spain: France-based Saint-Gobain has announced plans for a new Euro40m production line at its Quinto gypsum wallboard plant near Zaragosa, Aragon. The line will integrate recycled raw materials use and an Industry 4.0 digitisation programme to increase production, warehousing, transport and delivery automation.The scheduled commissioning date for the expanded facility is in 2022. When operational, the line will generate 70 new direct jobs. The government of Aragon has declared the work a project of regional interest.

The group says that the new line will enable it to capture the growth of the Spanish market and its rapid shift towards more complex needs and especially more lightweight construction systems.

Spain: Saint-Gobain Placo has launched Placo Hermetic, a gypsum-based hermetic system for application to building envelopes. The company says that the product is the first of its kind to be gypsum-based that meets the Passivhaus standard. The Catalonia Institute of Construction Technology (ITEC) has certified the system with a Document of Suitability for Use (DAU).

The producer said “With this DAU, Saint-Gobain Placo continues to guarantee the suitability of its solutions, providing professionals in the sector with more sustainable and efficient systems that adapt to different projects and requirements, with total safety and reliability.”

Spain: Saint-Gobain Placo has announced the launch of 4PRO Active’Air, a laminated gypsum wallboard for use in ceilings. The company says that the product improves the air quality of rooms by absorbing pollutants with its Active’Air technology. The boards also have tapered edges for a join-free fit.

The producer said, “4PRO Activ'Air is presented as the most complete and efficient construction solution for the creation of continuous ceilings with a smooth and perfect finish, thanks to its fine edges, which increase the resistance between the joints and reduce the risk of cracks. In addition, it increases productivity thanks to its easy and fast installation, and offers great flexibility in construction, since it adapts to any type of project in the realisation of both regular and rounded shapes.”

France: Saint-Gobain recorded fourth-quarter sales of Euro10.2bn in 2020, up by 6% year-on-year on a like-for-like basis. The group noted a ‘strong pricing dynamic’ in the quarter. Its operating margin in the second half of 2020 was over Euro2bn, up by 20% year-on-year on a like-for-like basis. ‘Upbeat momentum’ in most markets buoyed results in the half.

The company said that the record second-half operating margin was achieved in part thanks to “successful portfolio optimisation measures under the ‘Transform & Grow’ programme, reductions in discretionary spending and a very positive price-cost spread. Its full annual results for 2020 will be published in late February 2021.

Spain: Saint-Gobain subsidiary Saint-Gobain Placo supplied and installed its Placo Hermetic watertight gypsum wallboard at the site of a solar-powered house. Interempresas News has reported that Austria-based Sunthalpy Engineering was responsible for the design and build. Following a successful trial, the developer disconnected the house from the electrical grid. It will run on direct and battery-stored solar energy.

China: France-based Saint-Gobain plans to establish ten gypsum wallboard plants under the Communist Party of China (CPC)’s 14^th five-year plan. China Daily News has reported that the move aims to ramp up production capacity in order to meet growing gypsum wallboard demand. In 2021 building materials company intends to open two more units to produce calcined gypsum in Yangzhou, Jiangsu Province and Huzhou, Zhejiang Province respectively.

Asia-Pacific regional senior vice-president and chief executive officer (CEO) Javier Gimeno said, “China has recovered from the Covid-19 pandemic in an exceptional manner. We have seen the quick recovery of the Chinese economy and the many industries that we serve. In our segment, the Asia-Pacific region has remained largely positive in the third quarter, driven by the continued strong demand in China." He added, “Our business growth in China is linked with the development of the Chinese society and the growth of China's middle-income earners, who are more demanding in terms of quality and performance of products.”

Argentina/Peru: France-based Saint-Gobain and Chile-based Compania Industrial El Volcan have signed an agreement to cooperate in the Argentine and Peruvian gypsum wallboard markets. The companies will finalise the agreement in January 2021.

In Peru, Saint-Gobain will purchase El Volcan Soluciones Constructivas , a company specialised in the production and sale of wallboard. After this new entity has been merged with SG Productos para la Construccion, which specialises in the production and sale of mortars and has been wholly owned by the Saint-Gobain Group since December 2019, Saint-Gobain will retain a 55% stake in the new consolidated group and will sell the remaining 45% to the El Volcan group.

In Argentina, El Volcan will purchase from Saint-Gobain a 45% stake in the group including Tuyango, the historical plaster business, and Aswell, the plasterboard business acquired in the first quarter of 2019, with Saint-Gobain owning a 55% stake in this Argentine gypsum group.