Gypsum industry news

Indonesia: Saint-Gobain has announced that it will soon start building a 30Mm2/yr plasterboard plant near Jakarta. The project is estimated at Euro35m and it is the building materials manufacturer's first wallboard plant in Indonesia. It is intended to strengthen Saint-Gobain Gypsum's presence in Southeast Asia, where it currently operates four plants in Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam.

US: The United States Geological Survey (USGS) has released data regarding gypsum production and consumption in the United States during 2012. This shows that a total of 9.9Mt of crude gypsum, 11.8Mt of synthetic gypsum and 12.1Mt of calcined gypsum was produced during the year. In 2011 the totals were 8.9Mt (crude), 11.8Mt (synthetic) and 11.9Mt (crude). Total consumption came to 24.6Mt, a 3.8% rise from 2011 when the country consumed 23.7Mt.

The leading crude gypsum-producing States were, in descending order, Oklahoma, Texas, Iowa, Nevada, and California, which together accounted for 58% of total output. Overall, 47 companies produced gypsum in 34 states and around 90% of all gypsum was used in wallboard and plaster production. Around 12% of the gypsum consumed was imported.

The USGS pointed to increased construction activity as the main driver of the increased demand, consumption (up 4%) and production (up 11%) of gypsum in the US in 2012. The average price of gypsum remained static at ~US$7/t crude (at mine) and ~US$30/t calcined (at plant). The USGS added that the US gypsum wallboard capacity in 2012 was in the region of 33Bn ft² (3.07Bn m²).

India: The Directorate General of Anti-dumping and Allied Duties (DGAD) has recommended that India impose an anti-dumping duty of up to US$73.8/m3 on imports of gypsum plasterboard from China, Indonesia, Thailand and UAE to protect domestic producers. The recommendation excludes certain varieties of fire-resistant boards.

The DGAD's recommendation comes on the basis of its findings that increased imports have caused 'material injury' to the domestic industry. Mumbai-based Saint-Gobain Gyproc India had filed a petition for imposing anti-dumping duty on behalf of the domestic industry. The directorate has recommended different set of duties that range between US$12.3/m3 and US$73.8m3.

The DGAD, which is under the jurisdiction of the Commerce Ministry, said that the boards have been exported to India below its normal value from these nations. However, it said that fire heat boards, impact boards, gypsum ceiling boards with moisture barrier, heat boards, anti-mould boards, thermal boards, gypsum ceiling boards with aluminium edges sealed in white film and ceiling tiles may escape the restrictive duty.

Belarus: The Russian manufacturer of gypsum products VOLMA Corporation plans to acquire AAT Belhips, according to Heorhiy Kuznyatsow, head of the Belorussian State Property Committee. The privatisation of Belhips has been under consideration for three years now and Volma is the only company interested in acquiring it, said Kuznyatsow at a news conference in Minsk.

Belhips is estimated to be worth around Euro3.79m but the buyer would also be required to invest about Euro40m in the construction of a new gypsum plant outside Minsk. A draft presidential edict providing for the privatisation of Belhips is expected to be submitted to the Belorussian Council of Ministers from 25 February 2013.

US: United States Gypsum (USG) has applied for a permit to withdraw up to 2.11 million litres/day of water for a gypsum plant near Crystal River in Florida. However, company spokesman Robert Williams said that the plant is not planned in the immediate future.

USG's permit application is pending with the Southwest Florida Water Management District. The district has sent USG a letter seeking more information to make sure that the planned withdrawals won't cause salt-water intrusion or otherwise harm the groundwater.

In 2011 USG purchased 72 hectares near the Progress Energy Florida power complex north of Crystal River to warehouse synthetic gypsum that is created by scrubbers at the coal-burning plants. Progress, whose parent company is Duke Energy, has a contract to sell the gypsum to USG, which is planning to build a warehouse sometime in 2013 to store the product until it is shipped to a wallboard manufacturer.

"USG proposes to construct a state-of-the art facility that is projected to bring 130 new jobs to the area and will incorporate water conservation to the greatest extent feasible," the company's consultant, Progressive Water Resources, wrote in its application letter to the water district. The letter requests a 20-year permit and states it is still negotiating for easements to the well sites and a pipeline that would transport water from the well to the manufacturing centre.