Saint-Gobain Expands Oragadam Plant with New Float Glass and Insulation Lines

Construction is underway at Oragadam, a facility near Chennai, for a new float glass line and a mineral wool insulation line – the seventh and fifth such industries under construction, respectively, for the global building materials major, Saint-Gobain in India.

This new float glass unit is capable of producing 1,000 tonnes of glass each day to meet the increasing demand for high-value-added glass needed in construction. This plant was designed not only to promote productivity but also to minimize environmental impact and, thus, will incorporate modern digital controls and energy-efficient systems.

At the same time, refurbishments are underway on what is expected to be the largest mineral wool insulation plant that Saint-Gobain will establish in the Asia–Pacific region. The facility, with a total annual production capacity close to 50,000 tonnes, is to be constructed as a near net zero carbon facility, applying innovative digital engineering and advanced sustainable manufacturing technologies. This will feature prominently in meeting the needs of the booming market for built environments in India, especially in energy-efficient and sustainable materials.

These developments are in keeping with the promise made by Sreedhar N, Senior Vice-President and CEO – Asia-Pacific and India at Saint-Gobain: “The new projects only underscore our commitment to providing high-performance, sustainable solutions according to market needs. In consonance with the adoption of Industry 4.0 technologies, green manufacturing and innovative products are a response to rising local and regional demand.

The Oragadam expansion is essentially a case in point of Saint-Gobain’s growth strategy in India, which gradually made these investments in manufacturing towards the construction and infrastructure sectors. The introduction of more production lines will further entrench Oragadam’s standing as one of the important hubs in the region for innovation in glass and insulation products in the future.

Industry experts noted that at this juncture, the construction industry in India is experiencing a major shift toward energy efficiency as well as green construction because of changes in building norms and because of increasing awareness among consumers.