Production at a Bahrain fibre glass factory is set to rise following the announcement of a joint venture with a Chinese firm.

Abahsain Fibreglass ME (AFG), whose plant at the Bahrain International Investment Park (BIIP) gets operational this summer, has signed a JV agreement with Chongging Polycomb International Corp (CPIC) to produce ECR glass.
AFG started building its Bahrain plant in 2007 after entering into a joint venture with Glass Strand Inc, a leading ECR technology provider from the US.  Production will begin shortly from a 30,000-tonne furnace installed as part of the venture with Glass Strand.
The joint venture with CPIC will build a second 30,000-tonne furnace in 2008. AFG plans through expansions to raise total capacity at the plant to 120,000 tonnes in 2010 and 200,000 tonnes in 2012. 
The plant’s strategic location near Bahrain’s new port guarantees reliable and quick delivery. This is considered a big advantage to Gulf consumers who now receive the product from distant locations such as China.
“The demand for glass fibre in the Middle East is growing rapidly, especially with the boom in construction. With this joint venture we can realise our growth strategy much faster,” says SK Maqsood, director of S & A Abahsain.
“With new production locations closer to our Middle East customers, we can offer more flexibility and supply faster and more reliable than before,” adds Wu Min, president of CPIC.
“We are pleased to be associated with CPIC in glass fibre and I am confident that the CPIC-Abahsain JV will be the leaders in glass fibre technology in the area,” says Abdullah Abahsain, president & CEO of the S & A Abahsain group of companies.
“This joint venture will create a landmark company in the Kingdom of Bahrain and the whole of the Middle East,” a joint statement said.
Glass fibre is used in the manufacture of various transport, industrial and consumer goods, such as boats, car bodies, aircraft assemblies, wind turbine blades, tanks, pipe systems, power poles, transmission towers, building panels, corrosion resistant goods and sports equipment.
ECR glass has advantages over traditional E glass. These are: it is environmental friendly being a zero-boron glass fibre, has superior thermal resistance, higher di-electric strength, better surface resistance and higher tensile strength and modulus.
S&A Abahsain, one of the largest groups in Saudi Arabia, is engaged in numerous business activities including manufacturing, chemicals trading, retailing, contracting and services with branches in all the main Saudi cities as well as in the UAE and Canada.
One of its companies is the Saudi Arabian Glass Company (Sagco) of which it is a 95 per cent owner.