Ethical diamonds in Trujillo

CALIFORNIAN company Diamond Foundry will open its second laboratorygrown diamond production factory in Trujillo, (Extremadura).

The 30,000­square metre plant’s 144 plasma reactors will start producing singlecrystal diamond chips in 2024, with total production eventually reaching 10 million carats.

While the plant will focus on producing industrial diamonds that can be used for semiconductors, it will also create traditional synthetic diamonds suitable for jewellery.

Martin Roscheisen, CEO of Diamond Foundry ­ one of whose principal shareholders is Leonardo Di Caprio ­ laid the symbolic foundation stone at a ceremony attended by the regional and local authorities as well as Territorial Policies minister, Isabel Rodriguez.

The Trujillo plant will cost a total of €245 million, €120 million of which has been provided by the Ministry of Industry’s Industrial Support Fund (FAIIP) with another €81 million provided by the Ministry of Economic Affairs.

The factory will be one of the world’s first industrial projects powered entirely by solar electricity which will be provided by a nearby 120­megawatt, 700­acre

MORRISONS have warned at least 83 property maintenance suppliers that their services are no longer required, endangering around 1,000 jobs.

The debt­laden supermarket chain, taken over in October 2021 by US private equity group Clayton Dubilier & Rice, will switch to a single provider for repairs and upkeep. Morrisons is also likely to lay off roughly 50 office staff who handle maintenance in Bradford and other locations.

The suppliers said they were warned their contracts might come to an end during a short video call in which they had not been able to ask questions.