17 minute read
Headline News
HEADLINE NEWS ASIA
Ras Al Khaimah industrial audit sees companies sign-up
Advertisement
United Arab Emirates
Ras Al Khaimah Municipality has launched an energy audit programme for the industrial sector. The programme will help industrial companies identify energy saving opportunities that will make them more environmentally friendly and competitive.
Companies such as RAK Ceramics, Stevin Rock, RAK Rock, Falcon Technologies, RAK Ports, Union Cements, Eternity Technologies, and Future Architectural Glass among the first signatories signed agreements with Ras Al Khaimah Municipality during the RAK Energy Summit to take part in the programme. The industrial sectors initially supported in the programme are cement, ceramics, quarries, glass, building materials, metal fabrication and packaging.
On the occasion of launch, Munther Mohammed bin Shekar, director general of Ras Al Khaimah Municipality said: “The programme will support local industrial companies in identifying opportunities for energy savings and reduction of emissions, that will help them remain competitive over the long run. I encourage all the industrial companies in Ras Al Khaimah, for whom energy is a main cost, to participate in this initiative.”
Participating industries will receive an energy audit, conducted by expert energy auditors, and will periodically share progress of implementation with Ras Al Khaimah Municipality. Audits are procured at scale with the support of Ras Al Khaimah Municipality, while Rakbank provides a credit facility to dilute the cost of the audit over time along with evaluating for any other financial support that such companies may need.
Until now, Ras Al Khaimah Municipality has empanelled a total of seven expert industrial auditors using a competitive tender process. Participating companies can choose any of the empanelled auditors to conduct an energy audit, including onsite measurements and assessment of energy saving opportunities. Reem Office of Ras Al Khaimah Municipality will support both parties during the whole process by facilitating data collection and logistics as well as by providing technical support.
In addition to the energy audits, the programme will also include knowledge sharing sessions with energy efficiency experts as well as suppliers of technologies and services. These sessions will enable local industries to learn and follow best-practices and use state-of-the-art technologies to become more energy efficient and contribute to achieving wider sustainability targets.
This initiative is part of the Energy Management programme of Ras Al Khaimah Energy Efficiency and Renewables Strategy 2040, and is in line with several strategies and policies, including Operation 300bn of the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology, and the UAE Circular Economy Policy.
Turkey
The Eurasia Window, Door and Glass Fairs, which are included among the largest and most prestigious industrial events in the region, was held at the Istanbul Tüyap Fair and Congress Center from 12 -16 November 2022.
The 23rd International Window, Window Shade, Facade Systems and Accessories, Profile, Production Technologies and Machinery, Insulation Materials, Raw Materials and Auxiliary Products Fair brought together leading firms in the industry operating in the fields of window manufacturing machinery and technologies, window profiles, profile manufacturing machinery, window mechanisms, window side industry, facade systems, insulation materials, raw materials and auxiliary products with numerous decision-making industry professionals.
The fairs, held in collaboration with the Window and Door Sector Association (PUKAD), Window Producers Quality League Association (PUKAB) and Entrepreneur Aluminum Industrialists and Business People Association (GALSIAD), were visited by 60,128 people from 126 countries, including 13,143 visitors from abroad and 46,985 local visitors from Turkey.
Ali Muharremoğlu, managing director, Reed Tüyap Fuarcılık, stated: "The Eurasia Door, Window and Glass Fairs were concluded with a record-high attendance figure. Leading firms from the industry exhibited their latest innovative solutions in the fields of door, window and glass manufacturing. This year our participants were also extremely pleased with the interest shown in the auxiliary products and solutions at the aluminium and shading special sections. We have seen professional visitors from 126 countries establish key business contacts during the fairs."
The Eurasia Door Fair gathered visitors for the 14th time, and the Eurasia Glass Fair for the 12th time. The Eurasia Door Fair, where the industry's leading manufacturers of interior door and door systems, locks, panels, panels, partition systems and accessories exhibited their products and services, met with its visitors for the 14th time; and the Eurasia Glass Fair met with its visitors for the 12th time with glass products and applications, productionprocessing technologies and machines, and complementary products and chemicals.
See you again between November 11 - 15, 2023…
The Eurasia Door, Window and Glass Fairs will open its doors again between November 11 - 15, 2023, presenting a wide range of opportunities for establishing key business contacts.
Asian Glass: mobiles, ipads & androids
Borosil Renewables acquires 86% of Interfloat Group
India
India’s largest solar float glass producer, Borosil Renewables has acquired an 86% stake in Interfloat Group, Europe’s largest solar glass manufacturer.
Interfloat Group is based in Germany and Lichtenstein and has been serving customers in the solar industry since 2008. It operates through Glasmanufaktur Brandenburg GmbH (GMB), which has a production facility near Berlin, and Liechtensteinbased Interfloat Corporation, which supplies the glass to the European market.GMB operates a solar glass plant with a production capacity of 300 tonnes/day.
With this acquisition, Borosil Renewable’s solar glass manufacturing capacity will grow 66% to 750 tonnes/day.
Company’s total capacity would increase to 1,300 tonnes/day with the commissioning of a new furnace with a capacity of 550 tonnes/day in India over the next two months.
This acquisition will make a wider range of solar glass available to BRL's expanded customer base in Europe.
“The overseas wholly owned subsidiaries of the Company [Borosil Renewables], namely, Geosphere Glassworks GmbH and Laxman AG, have completed the acquisition of 86% stake in GMB Glasmanufaktur Brandenburg GmbH (GMB) and Interfloat Corporation (Interfloat), respectively. Consequently, both GMB and Interfloat have become step-down subsidiary companies of the company.
“Borosil is committed to investing in manufacturing in Europe and will be increasing capacity at GMB’s Tschernitz plant at an appropriate time in the near future.
“This means that BRL and Interfloat will be able to supply significantly higher volumes of solar glass to their present and new customers by improving the serviceability as a result of the production from two locations now,” stated a company statement published on the stock exchange.
Competition Commission of India puts on hold HNGL acquisition
India
India’s largest container glass producer, Hindustan National Glass Limited’s ( HNGL) acquisition has been put on hold by the Competition Commission of India ( CCI), a few days after the committee of creditors (CoC) showed a green light to the proposed resolution plan.
CCI has invalidated details furnished by AGI Greenpac and has asked the company to submit more details. These details are sought by the competition commission when the market share of the acquiring company is more than 15% in the domestic market.
In the last week of October, HNG's CoC approved the plan of the company's acquisition by the second largest container glass producer, AGI Greenpac for INR 22,130 million.
HNG owes INR 17,100 million to a group of 12 creditors, led by the State Bank of India (SBI). The insolvency proceedings were initiated in October 2021 by DBS Bank which has an exposure of INR 4,680 million.
Earlier, AGI Greenpac was known as Hindusthan Sanitaryware & Industry. Its resolution proposal got 98% votes of the CoC, followed by 88% to the Uganda-based Madhwani group.
AGI Greenpac offered INR 18,510 million upfront and INR 3,650 million in the form of deferred payments to the lenders. An amount of INR 60 million was proposed to be paid to the employees of HNG.
The plan was given a go-ahead by SBI, Edelweiss, DBS, LIC and other important CoC members.
Yalova's Ekomat project, a first in Turkey, gets underway
Turkey
The Ekomat project, which is being implemented for the first time in Turkey with the support of the BIRCAM Foundation, the GCA, and Park Cam, has been launched in Yalova, which was chosen as the pilot city. It is the goal of the project to create awareness about recycling and to collect numerical data for waste management setup prior to the implementation of the mandatory deposit system.
Yalova Governor Muammer Erol, Yalova Deputy Mayor Mustafa Tutuk, Bircam Foundation President Ömer Kızıl, Park Cam General Manager Semih Özbey and GCA General Manager Abdullah Gayret attended the opening ceremony at the Yalova Raif Dinçkök Cultural Center.
The Ekomat Project details were explained by Gayret and Özbey, and the first bottles were recovered following the protocol. Ekomat, which is supported by the Turkish Environment Agency and whose pilot city is Yalova, is financed by the glass packaging manufacturers GCA and Park Cam, and the waste management operations are carried out by the BIRCAM Foundation.
Gayret explained that the main objective of the EKOMAT project is to contribute to recycling, since glass is a material that is limitlessly recyclable, while at the same time raising consumer awareness of this issue. "With Ekomats, we will reduce the demand for new raw materials to be used in production, and at the same time, we will create recycling awareness in the society. With this project, we experience the pride and joy of being an example to the whole of Turkey.”
Özbay said: “We love our country and we want to leave a more livable world to our children, who are our future. We are also aware that if we do not make important individuals for the environment today, it will be too late tomorrow.
“As Park Cam, we have made significant expenditures on recycling activities since the day we were founded. We created sustainable glass waste management models by establishing the Bircam Foundation with Beypazarı, Uludağ, Kınık and Sarıkız mineral waters. It is our most valued project at EKOMAT, we look forward to your participation.”
Kızıl said: “As part of the Ekomat project, an end-to-end integrated waste management system will be provided. Thanks to the national software we developed, the occupancy rates will be monitored with the integration of vending machines into the software. "When they reach a certain occupancy rate, the field team will be messaged and instructed to empty the vending machine.”
Glass for Europe brings sustainability to Glasstech Asia
Singapore
Glasstech Asia reassembled in Singapore from 26-28 October for the first time after several years of COVID-19. Alongside the fair gathering hundreds of actors of the South-East Asian industry and the 2022 International Year of Glass celebrations by the Singapore glass association, the 2022 Asia Façade and Glass Conference was organised. Its main theme was sustainability, both in the industry and in architecture and buildings.
Glass for Europe was called upon to address these topics and explain the European vision and work in the field, considering the leading role of Europe’s industry in this regard. Glass for Europe’s Secretary General, Bertrand Cazes, made a presentation on the 2050 vision of the flat glass industry in a climate neutral Europe and how this vision supports the industry’s sustainability efforts to keep glass as material of first choice for the design of genuinely sustainable buildings.
Bertrand also moderated an exciting panel discussion with Glenn Carlton from Guardian Glass, Jayrold Bautista from DOW and Johannes Kreissig from the German Sustainable Building Council, on how to enhance sustainability considerations in the design and construction of facades is South-East Asia.
Reflecting on the German experience and the realities of the South-East-Asian markets, the panel touched upon the importance of raising awareness on whole life-cycle carbon assessment, of product transparency and verified environmental declarations and of safeguarding affordability. The panel discussion concluded that sustainable buildings ought to be breathable buildings both for the planet and for their occupants that are achievable and scalable worldwide.
The event also offered the opportunity to meet with with Gan Pay Yap, Chairman of Singapore Glass Association, and enlarge Glass for Europe’s network building new ties with representatives of Glass associations from Vietnam, Indonesia and Malesia.
NSG operates second float glass plant in Argentina
Israel/United States
Vibrantz Technologies today announced that its DipTech subsidiary based in Israel has entered into an agreement to sell its digital printer business to Kerajet. The digital ink business is not part of the sale. The deal is expected to close within the next 60 days.
“This sale allows Vibrantz to redouble our focus on the production and development of digital inks for Kerajet and other digital printer manufacturers,” said D. Michael Wilson, Vibrantz president and CEO “It also helps ensure our unmatched glass expertise and capabilities continue to grow in support of the digital printing market.”
“Kerajet’s expertise in the ceramics market and two decades of experience in digital printers well positions the company to take over DipTech’s digital printer business,” added Matthias Bell, president of Performance Coatings at Vibrantz.
Vibrantz will provide further information to DipTech customers upon the closing of the transaction. Until that time, customers should continue transacting with DipTech as usual.
Founded in 1998 and headquartered in Castellon, Spain, Kerajet is a designer and manufacturer of advanced digital printers for ceramics, textiles, tableware, PVC, fibre cement and other applications using different kinds of inks, depending on the final product.
Vibrantz provides specialty chemicals and materials around the world. The company serves over 11,000 customers and its products and technologies are used in a broad range of applications and consumer products. It specialises in particle engineering, glass and ceramics science, and colour technology, and offers specialty mineral and chemical additives for batteries, electronic components, and construction, dry powder pigments for paints and coatings, thermoset plastics, thermoplastics, glass coatings, and porcelain enamels. It is based in Houston, Texas, and employs over 5,000 people across 65 manufacturing sites across six continents.
Japan/Argentina
The NSG Group has announced that the construction and operation of the second float glass plant has been completed.
Located in Los Cardales, Argentina, the new plant is operated by Vidriera Argentina S.A. (VASA), a joint venture subsidiary with over 80 years of experience.
The investment was made in 2018 in order to meet the growing demand for architectural and automotive glass in Argentina, as well as supply the market in South America, which continues to grow. It was originally planned to begin operations at the beginning of 2020, however due to the turmoil in the global economy, which includes the spread of COVID-19, the start of operations has been delayed.
After the construction work was successfully completed, the furnace was warmed and production of glass began on 8 October.
In spite of a challenging macroeconomic environment, glass demand continues to outpace supply due to a continued increase in construction activity. The NSG Group views the region as a promising market in which to demonstrate its business capabilities.
NSG Group promotes "Expansion of Value-Added Business" and "Transformation into more profitable portfolio of business" as part of its mediumterm management plan titled "Revival Plan 24 (RP24)". One of the Group's strategic investments will be the operation of a new float line in Argentina and South America, where the Group has established a strong position for many years.
The NSG Group is a global supplier of glass and glazing systems offered through its three main business segments, Architectural, Automotive, and Creative Technology.
Architectural Glass manufactures and supplies architectural glass as well as glass for solar energy and other sectors.
Automotive Glass serves the original equipment (OE) and aftermarket replacement (AGR) glazing markets.
Creative Technology comprises several discrete businesses, including lenses and light guides for printers and scanners, and specialty glass fibre products such as glass cords for timing belts and glass flakes.
Founded in 1938, VASA is a joint venture of NSG (51%) and SaintGobain (49%) that is Argentina's only supplier of float glass. VASA's Llavallol plant currently operates one float line, one rolled line, one silvering line, two laminated lines for architectural glass, and an offline cutting facility for automotive glass.
Phoenicia and Airovation Technologies sign MOU
Israel
The new MOU will see Airovation’s groundbreaking technology implemented into Phoenicia’s plant to turn the factory’s CO2 emissions into raw materials used in the glass making production process. By creating this circular economy, the two parties hope to not only reduce the carbon footprint but enable the Phoenicia to be less dependent on imports.
A glass manufacturer, developer, and supplier since 1934, Phoenicia produces, develops, and supplies glass. The factory is located in the Lower Galilee, in the fast-developing industrial area of Nazareth, enabling easy and fast deliveries to local customers and to Haifa Port, which serves more than 30 different destinations worldwide. Phoenicia's float line is designed to produce low iron float glass and specialty glass. Airovation Technologies provides original, patented air purification and carbon capture systems. The core technology has been developed at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem over a period of over ten years and is designed to efficiently and economically capture and convert CO2 into valuable mineral endproducts in the form of carbonate and bicarbonate minerals and oxygen. The technology can also be used to purify indoor air spaces by oxidising microbiological threats, such as viruses and bacteria, while converting harmful gases into oxygen-enriched clean air. A key technological advance is the generation of superoxide
Cobalt Blue participates in Korean delegation
Australia/South Korea
Cobalt Blue again participated in the Australian Critical Minerals Delegation to South Korea, with this visit held on 11-14 October. The Delegation was led by Senator the Hon Don Farrell (Australian Minister for Trade and Tourism) and his counterpart, Minister Lee (Korean Minister for Trade, Energy and Industry).
Government and industry representatives from the South Korea and Australia acknowledged the strategic importance of securing critical minerals supply chains to support the development of clean
energy applications. Bruce Blunden represented Cobalt Blue Holdings Limited on the Delegation, where he shared information on the opportunities for a long-term supply of ethical cobalt for battery applications from the Broken Hill Cobalt Project. AIS reports unaudited second quarter results
India
Asahi India Glass Limited (AIS), which manufactures and delivers glass products to retail and institutional customers, announced its unaudited financial results for the second quarter ended 30 September at its Board Meeting.
Sanjay Labroo, CEO and managing director of AIS, said: “I am happy to share that we posted our highest absolute sales figures this quarter, which were backed by a very strong and steep demand recovery in the automotive segment.
“However, our operating profits remained almost flat during the quarter, resulting in a compression in EBIDTA margins. This was a result of inflation over the last quarter, especially in our automotive glass business which also witnessed very high volatility in model mix of the increased demand, leading to some operational inefficiencies versus our internal budgets.
“I am also glad to update that our new project for setting up a greenfield float glass plant is progressing quite well, and we
Image Credit: Yoav Weiss, Airovation Technologies, Airovation Technologies
radicals in situ, which are among the strongest oxidisers known to science. The company develops solutions for indoor air treatment as well as carbon capture in industrial settings.
Blunden said: “Taking part in the Delegation provided many occasions for us to present and discuss the Broken Hill Cobalt Project.”
target to commence operations in Q2 FY 24-25.”
AIS was established in 1986 and is one of the leading players in the automotive and architectural glass segments. It holds a market share of approximately 72% in Indian passenger car glass and has an established track record over the past three decades.
Singapore
Glasstech Asia and Fenestration Asia concluded successfully on 28 October. In total, more than 2000 attendees from over 28 countries attended the event which held the fair alongside an all-inclusive variety of side events such as the inaugural Asia Façade & Glass Conference, Singapore façade tour, international year of glass exhibition Through the Looking Glass, buyer-seller meetings, as well as an annual networking gala dinner.
Michael Wilton, CEO and managing director of MMI Asia, said: “The importance of this event and its success shows a promising trajectory for the glass and façade sector. The personal touch of having face-to-face discussions remains undisputed as the most effective way to set growth in the industry.
“With more plans to integrate Glasstech Asia and Fenestration Asia into the global BAU Network, I foresee an exciting future in providing the industry with increasing opportunities to share their story with a wider global audience.”
Gan Pay Yap, chairman of Singapore Glass Association, said: “The success of this edition does not only represent a restoration of industry norms, but the revival of close knitted connections made possible by regional platforms such as Glasstech Asia and Fenestration Asia.
‘The Glass Hub of Southeast Asia’, Glasstech Asia is an annual rotating exhibition that focuses on all things related to glass. A combined event of the 18th edition of Glasstech Asia and Fenestration Asia was held at the Sands Expo & Convention Centre in Singapore from the 26th to the 28th of October, this year. This three-day event featured exhibitors from the Southeast Asian glass and glazing sector, ranging from glass manufacturing, processing, and machinery to accessories, raw materials, and finished glass products.
The next Glasstech Asia - the 19th International Glass Products, Glass Manufacturing, Processing & Materials Exhibition, and Fenestration Asia – the 6th International Windows, Doors, Skylights, Curtain Wall & Facade Technology Exhibition, will take place from 29 November-1 December 2023 at the IMPACT Exhibition and Convention Centre in Bangkok, Thailand.
