Gypsum industry news

Japan: Chiyode Ute has launched Chiyoda Virus Guard Board, a gypsum wallboard product with antibacterial and antiviral properties. The board’s lining is coated with an antibacterial and antiviral agent. It carries the Society of International Sustaining Growth for Antimicrobial Articles (SIAA) ISO21702 and ISO22196 markings.

Peru: Etex says that an upgrade to its Huachipa gypsum wallboard plant is currently being built and should be operational by mid-2023. It is intended to double the production capacity of the unit, according to the Gestión newspaper. The company has invested Euro36m in the project.

Etex markets its wallboard under the Gyplac brand locally. Robert Haanschoten Rodríguez, Etex’s Andean Region Marketing Manager, said that the country exhibits a strong self-build market. Gypsum wallboard sales represent 20 – 25% of the group’s sales in the country. Since 2018 sales of wallboard have grown by 50%. The country reportedly has a wallboard consumption of 0.7m²/capita compared to 4m²/capita in Chile. However, increases in the cost of raw materials have led Etex to put its product prices up by 5 – 12% across all lines.

UK: The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is considering whether the proposed acquisition by Saint-Gobain of GCP Applied Technologies could result in the creation of a relevant merger situation or lessen market competition generally. It has asked any interested party to comment on the transaction by mid-June 2022.

Saint-Gobain said it had agreed to buy construction chemicals producer GCP Applied Technologies for Euro2bn in late 2021 with a conclusion date to the transaction by the end of 2022.

UK: Knauf UK has joined Planet Mark, an organisation that offers sustainability certification to businesses via the independent verification of social and carbon data. In doing this, Knauf has also committed to a CO₂ emissions reduction of at least 2.5%/yr. Planet Mark is in the process of verifying data submitted by Knauf based on its 2021 operations and Knauf will be publishing a report later in 2022 which will outline the findings. The outcome of the report will shape Knauf’s sustainability strategy moving forward.

Steve Malkin, the chief executive officer of Planet Mark said “We are thrilled to welcome Knauf into the Planet Mark community. Without precise measurements, progress cannot be tracked and Knauf has taken the vital steps necessary to begin taking action on its emissions.”

Belgium: Etex has raised Euro800m through a sustainability-linked medium - long-term unsecured loan. The producer says that the private placement, called a Schuldschein in German finance law, comprises three Euro-denominated tranches with maturities of three, five and seven years, at fixed and floating rates.

CEO Bernard Delvaux said “We are very pleased with this new Schuldschein issuance which we successfully completed in a challenging context. It testifies to a significant appreciation of Etex’s credit quality, of its performance of the last years and it demonstrates the investors’ confidence in the company’s strategy. Moreover, this operation broadens our investors’ base at attractive market conditions, increases the number of maturities and considerably extends the duration of our debt profile.”