Gypsum industry news

US/Australia: Boral and USG Corporation have entered into agreements to form a US$1.6bn joint venture producing wallboard in 12 countries across Asia, Australasia and the Middle East. Boral will contribute its Gypsum division to the joint venture, which includes its plasterboard operations in Australia and Asia. USG will contribute its Asian and Middle Eastern businesses, as well as exclusive access to its ceilings, cement board, fibre board, lightweight plasterboard and joint compound building products technologies in the joint venture's territory.

"The transaction is a major step forward for Boral and our vision is to create a world-leading interior linings business in Asia, Australasia and the Middle East," said Boral's CEO & Managing Director, Mike Kane.

The joint venture will be owned 50% by Boral and 50% by USG. In order to achieve an interest of 50% in the joint venture, USG will pay Boral up to US$575m in tranches. It will have a wallboard production capacity of 633Mm²/yr. The joint venture is expected to be completed by January 2014.

Management of the joint venture will be shared between Boral and USG with Frederic de Rougemont from Boral Gypsum who is appointed as CEO and Paul Monzella from USG Corporation who is appointed as CFO. USG will appoint the Chairman, Jennifer Scanlon, with the right to appoint chairman alternating between USG and Boral every two years.

Abkhazia/Saudi Arabia: Grenzebach BSH GmbH has ordered two Gebr. Pfeiffer vertical roller mills, one MPS 140 GC and one MPS 180 GC, for gypsum grinding-calcining for its new works in the breakaway Georgian region of Abkhazia and in Saudi Arabia.

The two vertical roller mills are designed to attain throughput rates of 16t/hr and 35t/hr, respectively. They are slated for delivery in the first and second quarters of 2014.

Canada: Gypsum Technologies Inc (Gyptech) will officially open its new corporate headquarters in Burlington, Ontario on 17 October 2013. The global supplier of wallboard process equipment and engineering services has built a new 2040m² headquarters to meet corporate growth objectives and long-term goals. The company's manufacturing facility will remain in Mississauga, Ontario.

"We look forward to getting into the new building where we have a modern facility and the improved quality of life that Burlington offers," said Gary Murray, President and CEO of Gyptech.

Austria: Starlinger, a technology supplier for woven plastic packaging production and plastics recycling, is opening its factory and showrooms in Weissenbach on 14 – 16 and 21 – 25 October 2013. Packaging producers and plastics recyclers will have the opportunity to see the latest models of the Starlinger machine range in operation.

Highlights on show include the new lamiTEC coating and lamination line that features roll change at full production speed and increased output, the RX 8.0 circular loom for heavy-duty fabric weaving, the conversion line ad*starKON SX+ and the newly developed linTAPE tape winders with linear drive technology for smooth winding and gentle tape treatment.

US: USG Corporation has entered into a Solar Energy Power Purchase and Sale Agreement (PPA) with Green Light Plaster City Solar 1 (GLPCS1) to install a solar facility at its Plaster City, California manufacturing plant. The 1MW photovoltaic (PV) system is intended to provide USG with more predictable energy costs until the 2030s.

Through the PPA, GLPCS1 and local engineering firm ZGlobal, will install solar cells on three hectares of the Plaster City site. Installation began in September 2013 and should be completed by December 2013.

"We are always looking for opportunities for our plants to use solar energy, and it made a lot of sense to move forward with this renewable energy investment at our manufacturing plant in Plaster City," said Al Zucco, senior director, Energy and Sustainability, USG.

Currently the Imperial Irrigation District (IID) supports and provides all of the USG plant's energy. IID rates are expected to increase at an unknown rate, but with the PPA USG will have predictable pricing for energy produced by the solar PV system.

In addition to improving the environmental profile of USG's Plaster City plant, the project is expected to save the company more than US$1m over the 20-year life of the project through lowered electricity costs.