French group Saint-Gobain and British glassmaker Pilkington are to build a fourth flat glass unit in Brazil through their joint Brazilian subsidiary Cebrace Cristal Plano. The new factory will have an…
French group Saint-Gobain and British glassmaker Pilkington are to build a fourth flat glass unit in Brazil through their joint Brazilian subsidiary Cebrace Cristal Plano. The new factory will have an annual capacity of 200,000 tonnes and should come on stream towards the end of 2002. The line will be designed and constructed by Pilkington and will be operated by the joint venture. The most recent of the three current float lines run by the existing joint venture was similarly designed and built by Saint-Gobain. The new plant will provide additional capacity to existing lines in Jacarei and Cacapava, producing 2-12 mm clear and tinted glass, mainly for the building and furniture sectors. In a joint statement, the companies said: “The float glass market in South America has seen increasing demand with steady growth in recent years, despite the recession there last year, and that is expected to continue. The new float line will mean that local capacity will be able to match this growing demand with high quality glass.”