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.

US: Gold Bond Building Products plans to spend US$90m on an upgrade to its Mount Holly gypsum wallboard plant in North Carolina. The project will include installing a railway line and related infrastructure to aid logistics, according to the Gaston Gazette newspaper. It is expected to create 11 new jobs at the site. Construction on the project is expected to be completed in 2024. The affiliate company of National Gypsum has operated a plant at Mount Holly since 2007.

Kyrgyzstan: Germany-based Knauf is preparing to build a gypsum plant in the south of the country. Alexander Blumhardt, the Executive Manager CIS countries for Knauf Group, said that the company was ready to invest in the country, according to the Trend News Agency. He said that Knauf had already conducted market research and negotiations on the construction of a building materials plant. It is currently studying gypsum deposits in the proposed region.

US: CertainTeed Gypsum has received the 2023 Better Project Award from the Department of Energy for the company’s smart energy management system at its Buchanan wallboard plant in New York state. The system at the plant, which was designed in-house and consists of over 180 energy meters, allows the staff to track and contextualise energy data, forecast future energy use and tackle actual losses once identified. Within the first three months of installation, the system helped identify several opportunities to reduce energy usage and enabled the plant team to scope process changes and projects to address them. The subsidiary of Saint-Gobain now plans to deploy similar technology at sites throughout North America.

Jay Bachmann, Vice President and General Manager of CertainTeed’s Interior Product Group, said “In a dynamic, continuous production facility like our Buchanan plant, it is essential to have real-time, in-depth data that can help us reduce our energy consumption, and our smart energy management system does just that.” He thanked workers at the Buchanan plant for their efforts.

The Better Project awards recognise manufacturers who improve energy efficiency and competitiveness in the industrial sector. To be considered for an award, projects must deliver significant waste or energy savings and must be discreet, innovative, and replicable in similar industrial facilities.