US: The Bureau of Land Management is seeking public comment on a proposed expansion of a USG gypsum quarry and associated water lines in Imperial County, California. USG wants to replace an existing water supply line to its Plaster City gypsum wallboard plant. The project will cost US$110m. The comment period will last until early September 2019.
Maud Thuaudet appointed Vice-President, Corporate Strategy of Saint-Gobain
France: Saint-Gobain has appointed Maud Thuaudet as Vice-President, Corporate Strategy with effect from 3 September 2019. She succeeds Julie Bonamy, who is appointed chief executive officer (CEO) Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore. Thuaudet will report to Sreedhar N, Saint-Gobain’s chief financial officer (CFO) and will be a member of the group’s executive committee.
Thuaudet is currently Telecommunications Program Director at Thales Alenia Space, within the Thales Group, where she started her career in 2006. She was Project Manager for Thales International in India, Bid manager, then Business Development Manager for Thales Air System, before being appointed Merger and Acquisitions Manager for Thales Alenia Space. She is a graduate of École Polytechnique and a member of the Corps des Ponts et Chaussées. She also holds an MBA from the INSEAD business school.
Bharat Heavy Electricals to install flue gas desulphurisation system at Nabinagar Thermal Power Project
India: Bharat Heavy Electricals (BHE) has been awarded the contract to supply emissions control systems, including a flue gas desulphurisation (FGD) system, at the Nabinagar Thermal Power Project. The project is a 4x250MW coal-fired power station being built by Bhartiya Rail Bijlee Company, a joint venture between NTPC and Indian Railways. BHE's scope of work includes design, engineering, civil works, supply, erection and commissioning of wet FGD system along with auxiliaries, including limestone and gypsum handling system and wet stack on a full engineering, procurement and construction basis.
Previously BHE installed a FGD system at Tata Power's Trombay Unit 8 in 2008. Including the latest order, BHE is presently executing FGD systems for 27 units of NTPC and its joint ventures.
Associated British Ports proposes building wallboard plant at Newport
UK: Associated British Ports (ABP) has proposed the construction of a new gypsum wallboard plant at the Port of Newport. The project is at the planning stage with the submission of an environmental impact report to the local government. The 14,000m3 unit will be built on brownfield land south west of the port’s South Dock. It will include a simple warehouse-type structure enclosing production lines, conveyor belts, storage loading areas and two hoppers. No cost for the project has been disclosed.
Gypsum for the production line will be delivered by ship and unloaded into a quayside storage facility. Plasterboard products will be distributed from the proposed plant mainly by road although export markets by sea could be possible. It is anticipated that around 70 jobs would be created by the plant.
