Saint-Gobain stock: Aviles furnace project clears final permit

Saint-Gobain received the final construction permit for its FurHya hybrid flat-glass furnace in Aviles on Thursday, November 12. The approval allows work to move forward at the La Maruca plant, according to La Nueva España.

Saint-Gobain plans to invest 100 million euros in the replacement furnace, with European funding covering 60 percent of the cost. The highly electrified hybrid technology is being developed with AGC Glass Europe and is expected to enter service in the second half of 2027.

Aviles shutdown sets next milestone

The existing furnace is scheduled to stop production on Monday, November 16. The old unit is due to be emptied and cooled before dismantling, with preparatory work expected to continue until Christmas. The construction timetable therefore moves the project from permitting into an execution phase with operational milestones for investors to monitor.

The temporary employment scheme agreed for the plant affects 69 employees and will run from November 24 for 300 days. During the shutdown, Saint-Gobain plans to supply customers temporarily from other European plants with its lower-carbon Orae range.

Lower-carbon output faces market pressure

The project is intended to reduce emissions from flat-glass production while shifting the plant's focus toward quality, service and higher-value products such as laminated and coated glass. La Nueva España also reported that Saint-Gobain is facing pressure from low-priced Chinese imports, keeping execution and margins central to the investment case.

Saint-Gobain stock traded at 75.26 euros on Lang & Schwarz at 17:49 CET on Friday, November 13, 0.13 percent below the Xetra close of Friday, November 13. The comparison reflects the same day's completed Xetra session.

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