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Editor’s Comment International news
GREG MORRIS, EDITOR
All set for a year devoted to glass
Congratulations to all of those who have pushed to have a year devoted to glass around the world.
As Glass International went to press, the United Nations General Assembly was set to give approval to the International Year of Glass 2022, a campaign which started in 2018 and has gathered pace since.
Thanks to the tireless work of the steering committee, led by Alicia Duran and backed by Glass International columnist John Parker and David Pye, hundreds of organisations around the globe have signed up in support of the proposal.
Such overwhelming support from glass organisations around the world helped persuade the UN to give its approval to the campaign.
A Year of Glass should certainly help put the material in the public spotlight, with increased publicity and visibility.
The steering committee has a number of activities planned throughout the year and these will no doubt gain exposure to those outside the industry.
In recent years it feels the benefits of glass have reached a wider audience. We all heard of the Blue Planet affect and the backlash against plastic as a result. Consumers turned to glass because of its inert and environmental qualities.
An International Year of Glass is an opportunity to strengthen consumers’ attitudes towards glass and to promote the material’s qualities to a global audience. FRONT COVER IMAGE: www.sorg.de
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Saint-Gobain Glass in £30 million UK plant investment
Saint-Gobain Glass is to invest £30 million in its glass manufacturing factory in Eggborough, East Yorkshire, UK.
The company is carrying out a major construction programme to completely rebuild and install a new state-of the-art float glass furnace, as well as upgrade other areas of the factory.
The project represents the largest industrial investment in the UK by the Saint-Gobain Group since the Eggborough plant was built in 2000.
Due to be completed by late summer of this year, the installation of the enlarged capacity furnace will replace the existing furnace that has reached the end of its design life.
The new furnace will use less energy and will help the company to optimise manufacturing efficiency, increase production capacity, and further enhance Saint-Gobain’s environmental and sustainability credentials.
International Cookware to invest €21 million in Duralex upgrade
After acquiring the Duralex brand in Janaury 2021, International Cookware is investing 21 million euros to create an industrial hub in the Center-Val de-Loire region of France.
The project will see Duralex’s workforce of 500 increase to almost 800, and its turnover from 110 million euros to 150 million euros.
It also expects to double the turnover of the plant and to go from a production rate of 40 to 75%.
International Cookware, which owns the Pyrex trademark, hopes that the investment will help with training and the creation of a glass industry within the Center-Val de-Loire region in Northern France.
The project is to be spread over four years and aims to upgrade Duralex’s Orléans plant.
Diageo is the latest company to collaborate with glass manufacturer Encirc and Glass Futures to use biofuel-powered furnaces to reduce the carbon footprint of the bottle-making process by up to 90%.
The trial produced 173,000 Black & White bottles, that also used 100% recycled glass, reportedly making the batch the most environmentally-friendly ever produced for a Scotch whisky brand.
Following the trial’s success, Diageo agreed a 10-year partnership to accelerate collaboration and innovation in the glass industry.
John Aird, Senior Packaging Technologist at Diageo said: “We see Glass Futures as a great opportunity to develop new technology and to help deliver net zero manufacturing and we are delighted to support them in that mission.”
BA Glass is to invest €60 million in the construction of a new furnace at its Sofia, Bulgaria container glass manufacturing site.
The investment is part of the group’s plan presented in 2017 when acquiring the Southeast Europe operations from Yioula Group.
After having intensively invested in the Plovdiv plant, BA Group will build a new furnace in the Sofia plant and recruit more than 100 workers
The project, as well as the investments made in Plovdiv plant, will represent an important improvement for the environmental impact of the plant.
One of these are the photovoltaic panels that are being installed in the roofs of the two facilities.
Glass production is planned for the first quarter of 2022.
EME completes South Korean batch plant upgrade
EME has completed a batch plant upgrade for South Korean container glass manufacturer Techpack Solutions.
German batch plant specialists EME modernised the material dosing and weighing section, while also exchanged the high-duty pan mixer in this area.
It also upgraded the cullet dosing, weighing and added a container scale system to Techpack’s modern scale system.
Additionally, EME also completely upgraded the batch plant’s control system.
NEWS IN BRIEF
Apple awards $45m to Corning Incorporated
Apple has awarded $45 million from its Advanced Manufacturing Fund to Corning Incorporated, a supplier of precision glass for iPhone, Apple Watch, and iPad.
The funding will expand Corning’s manufacturing capacity in the US and drive research and development into new technologies that support durability and longlasting product life, building on both Apple and Corning’s commitment to protecting the environment.
Corning has already received $450 million from Apple’s $5 billion Advanced Manufacturing Fund over the last four years.
Sisecam ignites Russian glass packaging furnace
Turkish manufacturer Sisecam has ignited a glass packaging furnace at its Pokrov, facility, Russia.
Production from the 70t/ day furnace was temporarily halted in July 2013 but was re-ignited in March this year.
The furnace went through the cold repair process in 2019 after a $15 million investment.
It means Sisecam’s glass packaging production capacity in Russia has increased to 1.03 million tonnes a year.
Fives secures Chinese lehrs contract
Following the burst of the solar glass production, Fives has supplied more than 60 annealing lehrs in China over the last 12 months.
A new contract for a 6m lehr – the widest lehr currently in China and internationally – with a production capacity of 600 tonnes per day has recently been signed by Fives Stein Metallurgical Technology (Shanghai), a Fives’ subsidiary in China, with Hebei Yingxin Glass Group.
Yingxin is a private glass manufacturer located in Shahe City, Hebei Province, which is known as the China Glass City.
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Verallia has rolled out an Industry 4.0 control system at its container glass factories over the past four years. The Glass Service Expert System III (ES III) control system enables it to face industry 4.0 challenges with process chain digitalisation in order to release productivity barriers.
Most Verallia container glass factories are equipped with the ES III system, which has improved stability and resulted in an automated cruise control of furnaces and forehearths.
This contributed to energy savings and a reduction of CO2 emissions as well as a better control and stability of Verallia NOx emissions.
Glass Service’s ES III control system includes connected instrumentation, data analysis, machine learning and model based predictive expert control including human experience.
It has been installed on more than over 300 furnaces internationally.
Ferro Corporation to be acquired in $2.1 billion deal
Ferro Corporation, a leading global supplier of technology-based functional coatings and colour solutions, has entered into a definitive agreement to be acquired by Prince International Corporation, a portfolio company of American Securities LLC, in an allcash transaction valued at approximately $2.1 billion USD, or 12.4 times TTM Adjusted EBITDA as of March 31, 2021.
Under the terms of the agreement, which has been unanimously approved by the Ferro Corporation Board of Directors, Prince will acquire all of the outstanding common stock of Ferro for 22.00 USD per share in cash.
Japan-based packaging company Nipro PharmaPackaging has acquired Croatian glass pharmaceutical packaging manufacturer Piramida.
Nipro said that the acquisition of Piramida and its yearly capacity in excess of 500 million glass containers, it is now able to cater to the market needs in Central Europe.
Nipro president Yoshihiko Sano said: “This latest acquisition demonstrates that Nipro takes its role and responsibility to society at large seriously.
“Extending our manufacturing footprint is of the utmost importance when supply continuity may be at stake.”
NEWS IN BRIEF
N.American shipments boost Ardagh growth
Ardagh’s Glass packaging shipments increased by 2%, thanks to growth in North America.
In its fi rst quarter 2021 fi nancial note the container glass packager reported shipments in Europe were in line with the prior year, despite continuing lockdowns in many countries.
However, glass packaging adjusted EBITDA decreased by 8%, due to a lower outturn in Glass Packaging North American glass packaging, which was impacted by severe weather and higher operating costs, principally due to freight and the severe weather.
Sefpro becomes SmartMelter certifi ed partner
Refractory solutions provider Sefpro has become a certifi ed partner of PaneraTech’s SmartMelter technology.
This offi cial certifi ed partnership will help PaneraTech reach new markets through Sefpro’s global presence.
Sefpro will now be able to offer customers the best on-time solutions for maintenance based on SmartMelter refractory assessments.
SmartMelter has been validated in multiple blind trials with glass manufacturers, and PaneraTech can recommend the Sefpro Wool product line to customers.
GPI roadmap plots 50% recycling rate
The Glass Packaging Institute (GPI) has launched “A Circular Future for Glass” initiative.
It is a 10-year plan to raise the US’s glass recycling rate to 50% and boost the average use of recycled content in domestically made glass containers.
GPI partnered with the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) to undertake the study, design study solution sets in different regions, and develop a set of options for achieving that goal.
Top 10 stories in the news
Our most popular news over the past month, as determined by our website traffi c. All full stories can be found on our website.
� 1. Verallia creates glass recycling company with Remondis � 2. BA Glass invests €60 million in Sofi a site � 3. Saint-Gobain Glass to invest £30 million in Eggborough, UK plant � 4. Sisecam announces new CEO � 5. Piramal Glass renamed to PGP Glass � 6. Forglass to deliver furnace and batch plant in a greenfi eld project � 7. Bucher Emhart Glass reports increase in orders � 8. AGC develops automated management system for raw materials � 9. Diageo becomes latest company to trial low carbon bottle production � 10. Verallia rolls out Glass Service’s Industry 4.0 control system
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Forglass in greenfi eld furnace and batch plant project
Forglass, a European supplier of glass melting technologies, has won the greenfi eld project for a major international glass producer, which specialises in the production of brown beer bottles for customers across Europe, the USA and Canada.
The investor chose Forglass to design and deliver a new furnace and an entire batch plant.
The furnace will include full automation and safety systems, including gas supply), will deliver more than 400 tonnes of amber glass per day to three production lines.
Its technology ensures that the new furnace will be more environmentally-friendly due to low energy consumption and low emission of greenhouse gases. The client will enjoy a turn-key plant in its new factory in Poland, scheduled to be completed in 2022.
Guardian Glass to install Bascharage furnace
Guardian Glass is set to replace a furnace at its Bascharage, Luxembourg site.
“Thanks to this new investment in Bascharage, glass production in Luxembourg will continue for the next 15 to 20 years,” said Guus Boekhoudt, Guardian Europe Executive Vice President.
It said the new furnace would be more environmentally friendly, technologically modern and would begin production in 2023.
In June last year the fl at glass manufacturer said it would close its Dudelange, Luxembourg furnace and merge activities in Bascharage, putting nearly half its 450-strong workforce at risk of redundancy.
But as a result of talks with staff, the company signed a two-year job retention plan in August, which prioritises early retirement, training and reassignment, or furlough over job cuts.
NEWS IN BRIEF
Piramal Glass renamed to PGP Glass
Indian container glass manufacturer Piramal Glass has been renamed as PGP Glass as part of its takeover by Blackstone financial group.
Blackstone acquired the company from the Piramal Group for a valuation of $1 billion in late 2020—the largest ever transaction for a packaging company in India.
The deal was completed on March 31 and the company, whose near 4,000 staff has been retained, will now have a new name—PGP Glass.
Pilkington to close UK architectural glass plant
NSG Pilkington UK is set to close its Alexandra Works plant in St Helens by the end of the 2021, affecting 90 jobs in the area.
It is reported that the company expects manufacturing will stop at the site by the end of December 2021.
The Alexandra Works plant manufactures architectural glass including glass doors, conservatories and rooflights for the construction industry.
It says the decision to close the site was made due to it being no longer profitable.
Bucher Emhart Glass reports order increase
Bucher Emhart Glass reported a decent start to 2021.
The glass container technology supplier reported a renewed increase in the number of orders for glass forming machinery.
It said customers were approving investment projects that had been postponed the previous year, despite many countries still having restrictions in place.
It reported order intake of CHF 101 million in Q1 compared to CHF 84 million in the same period last year, while sales this year were CHF 69 million compared to CHF 91 million in the same period last year.
In its outlook it suggested the next few months to bring stronger demand.
Visy in $35 million glass recycling investment
Visy Industries is to invest in a $35 million upgrade of its Laverton glass recycling centre, Australia.
The proposed upgrade is expected to create 92 jobs during construction and a further six ongoing positions once completed.
It will double the centre’s recycling capacity from 100,000 tonnes of glass each year to 200,000.
The additional glass will be made into new jars and bottles for Australian food and beverage companies and used in asphalt and road base works.
Severe weather hits O-I Glass Q1 performance
Severe weather in Mexico and Southern USA impacted O-I’s first quarter business performance.
The world’s largest glass bottle manufacturer reported net sales of $1.5 billion in the first quarter of 2021 compared to $1.6 billion in the prior year quarter.
Andres Lopez, CEO, said: “O-I’s first quarter business performance was strong and consistent with our original guidance.
“This was accomplished despite the significant impact of severe weather that disrupted operations in Texas, Oklahoma and Mexico.”
He added that the first fullscale commercial MAGMA production line is now operational and the team was conducting the necessary tests to validate the technology in Holzminden, Germany.
The new line is already generating glass bottles and further testing will be conducted over the next few months. It is expected to be validated by mid-year.
India’s Gold Plus confirms capacity expansion plans
Indian float glass manufacturer Gold Plus Glass Industry (Gold Plus) has confirmed plans to expand capacity by 700,000 tonnes a year – its largest capacity expansion to date.
The company wants to add two float glass lines and one solar glass line to its existing capacity.
Gold Plus is the only Indian owned float glass manufacturer and presently has two float lines in Roorkee, Uttarakhand with installed capacity of approx. 460,000 metric tonnes annually.
The total project outlay is said to be in tune of INR 2,200 - 2,300 Crores, and the company is already in discussion with Government authorities of at least two southern states for land allotment and capital/ revenue subsidies.
The organiation is targeting revenue of more than INR 3,000 crores with the capacity expansion.
