Global Gypsum Newsletter

Issue: GGM79 / 30 October 2026

Headlines


India: Knauf India plans to invest US$390m in the construction of four new gypsum product plants in India. The producer already operates two gypsum wallboard plants in the country, at Khushkhera, Rajasthan, and Sri City, Andhra Pradesh. The Economic Times newspaper has reported that the first phase of Knauf India’s plan involves the construction of a new, US$89.2m plant at Dahej, Gujarat.


Egypt: France-based Saint-Gobain plans to commission its upcoming Sadat City gypsum wallboard plant in November 2026. The plant will operate as a joint venture with Türkiye-based Dalsan Alçı.


Saudi Arabia: National Gypsum Company expects increased electricity and water bills from 1 January 2027 to raise its total production costs by 1% year-on-year in 2027. In a posting to the Saudi Exchange, the company told investors that it expects to reflect the effects of this beginning in its first-quarter results for the year.


US: Domestic production of gypsum wallboard recorded a 2% year-on-year decline in the first half of 2026, to 1.18Bnm2. United States Geological Survey (USGS) data show that gypsum wallboard production consumed 7.31Mt of calcined gypsum in the six-month period.

The USGS reported domestic gypsum shipments of 22.1Mt in the first half of 2026, up by 3%, including imports of 3.04Mt, down by 8%.


India: Knauf India and Pratham Education Foundation have opened a gypsum wallboard and false ceiling installation training academy in Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh. The academy will offer a 45-day programme, including technical and safety-based modules. Knauf India expects 100 trainees to enrol in its first year.

Programme director Rajesh Thokle said “India’s construction and real estate sectors are witnessing increased adoption of modern building systems, driving greater demand for professionals with specialised installation capabilities.”


Spain: Saint-Gobain Placo Ibérica plans to partly electrify production at its 30Mm2/yr Quinto gypsum wallboard plant in Zaragoza from mid-2027. Local press has reported that the producer will build a battery system, 6MW biomass power plant, 3MW solar power plant and 7km high-voltage power line to support the switch. It will reduce the Quinto plant’s CO₂ emissions by an anticipated 242,000t, its energy consumption by 30%, its natural gas consumption by 115GWh/yr and its water consumption by 50%.

The project has secured €20.8m in funding from the EU Innovation Fund.


Canada: USG subsidiary CGC has begun commissioning its Little Narrows gypsum mine in Nova Scotia with a test shipment of gypsum. Broadcast News has reported that the mine is undergoing a US$73.1m ‘modernisation,’ following its idling in 2016. When fully operational in early 2027, the mine will supply CGC and USG gypsum products plants in Eastern Canada and on the US East Coast.


India: Saint-Gobain India plans to invest US$1.14bn to ‘triple’ its business by 31 March 2031, the end of its 2031 financial year. The Hindu BusinessLine News has reported that the plan will target acquisitions and include gypsum wallboard. The producer expects market growth in gypsum wallboard, driven by its uptake in residential construction. Important markets include Tamil Nadu, where the group has committed to projects worth a total US$560m.

Saint-Gobain Asia-Pacific and India CEO Sreedhar Natarajan said “I am willing to acquire anything meaningful for our organisation.”


US: A shortage of alpha- and beta-hemihyrdate gypsum for construction and other applications reportedly ensued ahead of Knauf subsidiary USG's planned closure of its Southard gypsum mine and plant in Oklahoma, scheduled for November 2026. The International Community for Drymix Mortars' Drymix.Info newsletter cited industry sources reporting that customers are reformulating or seeking approvals for alternative sulphate sources.

USG attributed its decision to ‘escalating complexity and cost to mine and manufacture’ the specialised products in its portfolio.

Sika Gypsum Additives - Making Gypsum Fit for Future