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Omani new rail network to increase gypsum exports significantly
Written by Global Gypsum staff
22 September 2015
Oman: As the Omani national rail network currently under development connects mining sites with the Sultanate's maritime gateways, gypsum exports and other minerals will increase massively.
Oman Rail's general manager stressed that the switch from outdated truck-based shipping of minerals to rail-based freight, along with the deployment of high-capacity ship-loading systems, has the potential to send export volumes soaring. A 60,000t ship can take around 4 - 6 days to load using traditional transportation and loading techniques, so with the new system the goal is to advance that significantly by using high capacity methods of loading.
As the rail network becomes fully operational, the transportation capacity is expected to increase from an approximately 10 – 12Mt/yr to nearly 20Mt/yr.
USG to sell interest in Knauf-USG joint venture
Written by Global Gypsum staff
22 September 2015
Europe: USG has entered into a definitive agreement for the sale of its interest in Knauf-USG Verwaltungs GmbH and Knauf/USG Systems GmbH and Co KG to Knauf Aquapanel GmbH for approximately Euro48m in cash.
The Knauf-USG joint venture manufactures and distributes Aquapanel brand cement panels throughout Europe (excluding Turkey) and all countries that were part of the former Soviet Union.
USG's equity method income in the Knauf-USG joint venture amounted to Euro1.79m for the year that ended on 31 December 2014. Upon the close of the transaction, USG anticipates recording a Euro2.68 – 6.26m gain. The closing of the sale is subject to the receipt of necessary governmental approvals and other customary closing conditions and is expected to take place by the end of 2015.
Lone Star Funds to sell stake in Continental Building Products through secondary offering
Written by Global Gypsum staff
14 September 2015
US: Lone Star Funds has agreed to sell 4 million shares of common stock in Continental Building Products (CBP) through an underwritten secondary offering. Based on the closing price of CBP's common stock on 9 September 2015, the offering is valued at approximately US$85.2m. The underwriter has a 30-day option to purchase up to an additional 600,000 shares of common stock from the selling stockholder. Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC is acting as the underwriter for the offering, which is expected to close on 16 September 2015.
New gypsum plant under construction in Karachi
Written by Global Gypsum staff
14 September 2015
Pakistan: A new gypsum plant is under construction in Karachi, Pakistan, under the name of United Gypsum. The plant will include 100,000t/yr of gypsum powder capacity and 10Mm2/yr of gypsum wallboard capacity. It is expected to start in the middle of 2016.
Gypsum industry first as Knauf achieves Carbon Trust Standard
Written by Global Gypsum staff
11 September 2015
UK: The Carbon Trust has awarded Knauf UK the Carbon Trust Standard for Carbon in recognition of its success in reducing its carbon emissions. The Carbon Trust is the world's leading independent certification organisation and the award is a step forward for the gypsum industry as a whole.
"We're particularly proud to have achieved the Carbon Trust Standard because it reflects the company's commitment to sustainability throughout its operations," said Lorna Stork, Knauf UK's sustainability manager. "We manufacture products that are energy-intensive to produce, so this achievement not only owes a lot to improvements at factory level, but also shows that we believe in managing carbon and energy use in other areas."
Knauf has re-formulated the composition of its wallboard to reduce water content and the energy consumption required to dry them. The result is that, across the company, the average board weight has fallen by 2% over the past five years, leading to a cut in energy consumption of over 5%. Knauf has also achieved considerable energy savings in the drying process. 10GWh of gas were saved at the company's Kent facility and a further 2.8GWh at its Hull plant. These savings have been reinforced with other initiatives, including the implementation of ISO 50001, energy targets for board production, monitoring programmes and sourcing lower moisture raw materials.
Knauf has also examined other elements of its business in terms of carbon use, including handling and distribution. There have been marked improvements in Knauf's own energy consumption by forklifts and other site vehicles due to monitoring of fuel usage and training staff on how to operate the plant and equipment optimally.
"Knauf's attitude towards carbon reduction is commendable and the company's efforts have led to a significant reduction of over 5%. The company is an example of what can be achieved going beyond business-as-usual and innovating to improve your environmental impact," said Darran Messem, managing director of certification at the Carbon Trust. "Achieving the Carbon Trust Standard is one thing, but keeping it is a constant task, not one that is achieved by a single initiative. As a company, we are committed to that aim and to everything that it implies."