Russian flat glass market: advance increase of demand

Alexander Chesnokov, Head of the standardization and testing department & Elena A. Cheremkhina, Research officer of the standardization and testing department, OAO “Glass Institute” & Lev M. Shakhnes, Deputy Execution director, Union of Glass Enterprises

Translucent filler structures production increases in noticeably faster rates in comparison with construction of new buildings and installations for various purposes in Russia during last years. Growth rates are about 25–27 % per year by the information from window and façade structure producers. IGU manufacturing volumes surpassed 25 million of square meters in 2006. The similar relative numbers are marked for the growth of automotive, furniture and appliance glass consumption. The specialist’s estimations show that one new float line must be put into operation every year in the near-term outlook just for redress of high quality flat glass demand growth.Opening of two new plants – “Glaverbel Klin” in 2005 (180000 tons per year) and OOO “Pilkington Glass” (Pilkington Glass LLC) in 2006 (240000tons per year) – did not solve the problem of flat glass shortage. Earlier this shortage was offset by increasing of import. Now the import of flat glass is limited in connection with growth of building and glass consumption in Western Europe. The demand in flat glass keeps on growing in spite of considerable price increase (up to 30 % in 2006).We can see that Russian glass industry is very investment attractive and world industry leaders have significant interest on our market. Now there are several declared glass plant projects in Russia possibly started by 2008: Guardian Industries, OOO “Baltic Glass Company” with participation of PPG Industries, “Vostek” plant with some Chinese collaborators and Saint-Gobain float and automotive glass plant.

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The Authors

Mr. Alexander Chesnokov Glass Research Institute Alexander Chesnokov is the author of more than 30 standards of USSR, CIS, Russia concerning different types of glass products for building and technical purposes and more than 80 publications in the f... Read more