Hungary: Slovakia-based Stavmat Epitoanyag Kereskedelmi has produced its first batch of wallboard from recycled drinks cartons at its Kaposvar pilot plant in Somogy County. MTI – EcoNews has reported that the company plans to install two further production lines at the site by January 2023.

The full-scale plant will cost US$10.6m, employ 20 people and consume 50 – 70t/yr of waste drinks cartons. Stavmat Epitoanyag Kereskedelmi plans to establish a carton collection service across Southern Transdanubia. The present commissioning may lead to the establishment of a second, 10-line plant at a cost of US$21.2m.

Belgium: Eurogypsum’s board of directors has elected Jörg Ertle president of the association. The Etex head of corporate social responsibility will succeed Saint-Gobain Group vice-president for sustainable development Emmanuel Normant, who now takes over the position of Eurogypsum vice-president. Knauf Group Central Europe managing director and Knauf Gips chair Christoph Dorn will serve as the association’ new treasurer.

Ertle studied mining and mineral engineering at RWTH University Aachen and holds a Ph.D in environment technology from Berlin Technical University. He has over 20 years’ gypsum industry experience, including time spent in management roles Lafarge before and after its acquisition by Etex. Having previously headed Etex’s worldwide gypsum sourcing, Ertle took on his current role in the group in 2019. He has also participated in different Eurogypsum working groups concerning raw material policy, and has chaired the association’s Environment and Sustainability Committee since 2018.

Ertle said “I am taking over Eurogypsum’s presidency at a challenging time for Europe, with a global climate and environmental challenge, as well as a particularly unstable international environment. Economic actors are working under increased regulatory and financial pressure.” He added “I am convinced that gypsum solutions are a strong enabler to facilitate this transition, supporting the ambitions of the European Green Deal.”

Russia: Volma has reported increased demand for gypsum wallboard as well as other products including its plasters in the first quarter of 2022. It says it has compensated for economic sanctions imposed by countries in European Union by raising exports to countries in the Commonwealth of Independent States although its key market remains in Russia. However, it fixed its prices in March 2022 to support the local construction sector. In 2021 the building materials company invested around Euro7m towards upgrading its plants. One of the largest projects was the installation at its Voskresensk plant of a new gypsum furnace, which it says it the largest in Europe.

France: Saint-Gobain says that it is confident it can offset inflation in raw material and energy costs in 2022 through price rises and hedging its energy costs. In an update on its first quarter results the group said that it expects its energy and raw material costs to increase by around Euro2.5bn in 2022 as a whole compared to 2021. Much of this inflation is related to the European market where the company says it has hedged around 80% of its natural gas and electricity purchases for 2022. It noted that it increased its prices and sales volumes by 14.5% and 1.9% year-on-year respectively in the first quarter of 2022.

The company added it had prepared contingency plans in Germany, Poland and the Czech Republic should there be any disruptions to natural gas supplies from Russia. These include the classification of priority industries, using alternative energy sources already prepared at certain sites, and increasing the flexibility of its production capacities.

Saint-Gobain’s sales rose by 16% year-on-year to Euro10.4bn in the first quarter of 2022 from Euro12bn in the same period in 2021. The group said growth was driven by building renovation in Europe and by construction in the Americas and in Asia.