SEFPRO announces the creation of a Joint Venture with Anhui Sino-Refractory Technology Co.

Anhui Sino-Refractory Technology Co., Ltd. – also known as AFR – is a young company producing high performance fused cast refractories for the glass industry. It was founded early 2016, and is located in Bengbu, in the Anhui province of China, close to major glass customers and strategic suppliers.

Fused cast refractories are essential building blocks for glass furnaces, able to resist to extreme conditions such as high temperatures, corrosive atmospheres and glass flow. Critical to the performance and lifetime of furnaces, they are key to support the glass industry in achieving carbon-neutrality.

SEFPRO is present in China since 1991 with a fused cast refractory plant in Beijing to serve solar, flat, container, specialty and display glass markets. In 2005, a sintered refractory plant was started up in Linyi – mainly dedicated to reinforcement fiber and specialty glass markets. Since 2005, both plants can rely on the R&D expertise of Saint-Gobain Research Shanghai (SGRS).

The joint venture with AFR is the next step for SEFPRO’s development in China. With this partnership, SEFPRO will be better positioned to support the growth of the Chinese glass industry and to provide high-performing solutions to Chinese customers.

Laurent Cohen-Scali, SEFPRO Vice President, commented: "We are very pleased of this new strategy partnership (JV) which strengthens our ability to deliver high-end refractories to China’s growing glass market. High-performance refractories are key to decarbonize the glass industry, in line with our mission to achieve carbon neutrality. The joint venture with AFR will support this decisive transition.”

About SEFPRO

SEFPRO is the only refractory group worldwide fully dedicated to and streamlined for offering top-of-the-line refractory solutions specifically to glass manufacturers. For nearly a century, SEFPRO has played a key role in the evolution of the refractory offer available to glassmakers.

SEFPRO provides best in class high-performance materials and solutions that are critical to the glass industry to meet its challenges over the complete lifecycle of furnaces towards the alliance of performance and carbon neutrality.

SEFPRO is a business of Saint-Gobain Ceramics.

About Saint-Gobain Ceramics

Saint-Gobain is the worldwide leader in light and sustainable construction. Saint-Gobain designs, manufactures and distributes materials and services for the construction and industrial markets. Within its High Performance solutions division, the Saint-Gobain Ceramics BU is a global innovator in the world of technical ceramics and aims at engineering a better, safer and greener world.