Belgian glass manufacturer AGC Glass Europe (AGEU) has planned to enter a joint venture (JV) with Saudi Arabian glass maker Obeikan Glass Company to establish a solar control glass coating unit
According to officials at Obeikan Glass, the processing line for the unit will be built at Yanbu in Saudi Arabia, where the company already has the largest float glass plant in the Gulf.
Solar control glass coatings are used to block out excess heat from the sun and improve the energy efficiency of buildings.
?This joint venture not only assists in the selective roll-out of our own technology ? already enriched through our recent alliance with the German company Interpane ? it also helps to extend the distribution of our range of coated products developed through advanced research,? said Jean-Fran?ois Heris, CEO of AGEU.
The operations on the Yanbu glass unit are scheduled to begin in early 2016, AGEU said.
The architectural glass market has witnessed an annual growth rate of four per cent in the Middle East, stated AGC officials. The company said it expects demand for glass to rise in the region, especially solar control glass.
With photovoltaic (PV) deployment on the rise in the Middle East, the demand for glass is increasing as it can be produced locally.
