Collaboration with SolarPower Europe

A team from EGGA – Galvanizing Europe – has held a very constructive meeting with the SolarPower Europe staff, at their Brussels HQ, to explore common policy positions and map our future cooperation. EGGA has joined SolarPower Europe to strengthen collaboration with a vital net zero technology where batch galvanized steel provides long-term durability of the mounting structures for solar PV systems. We have many dossiers to work on together – most notably the Commission proposal for the Net Zero Industry Act. It is important that the entire supply chain for the complete solar PV system is considered as a net zero technology under this proposed Act. The supply chain for the mounting structures is increasingly threatened by ‘carbon leakage’ through import of structures from third countries. We have an experienced and quality-driven steel fabrication and galvanizing sector in the EU that is ready to support the wider deployment of solar PV technology…but our connected supply chain also needs to be considered as strategically important alongside modules and other parts of the system.

We will make a strong contribution to the workstreams of SolarPower Europe and the vital sector that it represents! Thanks to the SolarPower Europe team – Dries Acke, Daniela Blažejová, Emma Dominici, Carmen Correas López for the excellent discussions and Carola Hermoso (Chair – EGGA Environmental & Safety Committee) for her support (and bringing the perspectives of the Spanish galvanizing sector to the meeting!)

The EGGA and SolarPower Europe team met on 29 August to explore shared policy objectives and future collaboration

Assembly 2023

186 delegates gathered for the EGGA Assembly 2023 in Salzburg. The event was held in collaboration with the Austrian Association of Metal Technology Industries who opened the conference programme with a keynote speech from their Managing Director - Sabine Hesse - who gave an insight to the Austrian industry. Georg Matzner (Österreichischer Stahlbauverband) and Martin Kopf (EGGA Vice-President) then set the scene for a detailed review of ‘net zero’ plans for the industry, including perspectives from Germany, the Benelux and Spain. The conference programme of 15 excellent presentations covered decarbonisation, energy efficiency, environmental communication and innovative technical solutions in processing. A special session highlighted the importance of the correct specification of metallic coatings for steel to ensure that batch galvanized coatings are not confused with lower-performance solutions.

The event was originally planned for summer 2020 and was our first EGGA Assembly since COVID restrictions were lifted. The refreshed enthusiasm shown by the companies that engage in the network of national associations within the European General Galvanizers Association for collaboration and exchange of ideas was very much in evidence in Salzburg. Displays by suppliers to the industry kept participants informed of new developments in process technology and the Gala Dinner at the beautiful Salzburg Residenz provided a more relaxed opportunity for discussion.  There were also visits to galvanizing plants operated by Zinkpower, OTN and Collini.

During Assembly 2023, EGGA recognised the extensive contribution, over five decades, of Mr Jeremy Woolridge to the industry - with the award of the prestigious Bablik Medal.

Thanks to Martin Kopf (EGGA Vice-President & representative for Austria), all our Austrian hosts, the delegates and our sponsors for making this one of our most special events.

Intergalva 2022

The worldwide galvanizing industry eventually came together at the Rome Marriott Park Hotel during June for the long-awaited Intergalva 2022 conference and exhibition. Following postponement from 2021, over 500 delegates and exhibitors from 51 countries met to hear 36 conference presentations and participate in masterclasses on priority topics. Read more here: Intergalva 2022 - Intergalva

EGGA is very grateful to the members and staff of Associazione Italian Zincatura (AIZ) for their commitment to make Intergalva 2022 a success despite the very challenging organisational situation. We look forward to working with Zinc Info Benelux on the next Intergalva event – planned for 2024 in Belgium or The Netherlands!

Galvanized Steel and Sustainable Construction: Solutions for a Circular Economy

EGGA has launched a new publication - ‘Galvanized Steel and Sustainable Construction: Solutions for a Circular Economy’. A webinar to explain the purpose of the guide and some of its highlights was held on 9 April and has created strong interest in the contribution that galvanized steel can make to achieving the goals of circular construction – combining durability, robustness, reuse and recycling to ensure that steel structures can be designed for multiple life cycles without need for maintenance.

Many thanks to our hardworking committee members and colleagues in steel and zinc industry that made this publication possible.

As the EGGA President, Martin Kopf, explained when opening the webinar, this is only the beginning of a new initiative to bring this information to a wider audience, whilst also placing the highest priority at reducing our operational footprint.

Construction 2050 Alliance

EGGA is a member of the Construction 2050 Alliance - the recently established business network of more than 40 European organisations in the construction sector with the aim to cooperate on needs and priorities of common interest and bring them on a EU level. The Alliance has a common position on the role of the construction industry within the European Recovery Plans and the Renovation Wave.

Construction 2050 Alliance has organised a webinar to emphasise the importance of construction and infrastructure in the national COVID-19 Recovery Plans.

Register here: https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/1184661517490466317

Construction 2050 Alliance has been established on the principle that a sustainable Europe cannot be achieved without the involvement of all actors of the construction process. In order to bring the EU construction industry’s needs and priorities at the EU level, the Construction 2050 Alliance aims at coordinating common political messages of the construction value chain and raise the political importance of the sector at the European level.

Construction 2050 Alliance is confident that enhancing the way construction operates will lead to an improvement in the lives of European citizens, higher value with fewer natural resources, and higher quality assets for owners and users. It is on the basis of these considerations that the Construction 2050 Alliance’s framework follows these principles:

Postponement of Intergalva 2021 to 2022

We hope that you are all keeping safe and well at this difficult time. The personal health of our worldwide galvanizing community is on our minds. Intergalva is widely known as an excellent business networking event and we value very much our personal contacts with everyone.

Knowing that our valued international delegates and exhibitors need time to plan their participation and with much uncertainty on the future situation, we have already made the decision to postpone Intergalva 2021 until 2022.

To clarify the situation at the moment:

Finally, the organisers of Intergalva are very grateful to the organisers of the Asia Pacific General Galvanizing Conference series for adjusting their schedule to accommodate an Intergalva in 2022. The next APGGC will now be held in April 2023 in Yokohama, Japan.

EGGA and the Assoziazione Italiana Zincatura (AIZ) are looking forward to hosting their worldwide colleagues in 2022!

Rescheduling EGGA Events in Response to Covid-19

We hope that you are all keeping safe and well at this difficult time. The personal health of all our worldwide galvanizing community is very much on our minds.

EGGA conferences - the Intergalva and Assembly series - are well-known as excellent business networking events and we value very much our personal contacts with everyone. Unfortunately (and quite correctly) these close personal interactions are not what the world needs at the moment.

Unsurprisingly, we have adjusted our events schedule in response to the COVID-19 situation:

 

Intergalva

Intergalva 2021 (Italy) is postponed to 2022. We have not yet fixed a precise date for Intergalva 2022. We feel this is the right decision for our delegates and exhibitors who would normally be committing to set-up costs and travel in mid-2020.

 

EGGA Assembly

EGGA Assembly 2021 will be held in Salzburg in June 2021. This event was postponed from June 2020 and we have decided not to try to hold the event in November 2020. More details of the 2021 dates will be available soon. The features of the Assembly including plant visits, tours and key speakers will, we hope, be as originally planned for this year.

 

Virtual Events for the Galvanizing Industry

Of course, information exchange and continuous learning remain vital to our industry. So, we will be launching some online virtual events to compensate for the postponement of the physical events. Check back for more details!

 

Stay safe and well and let’s look forward to meeting when everyone is ready for that!

EGGA Assembly 2020: Postponement

Inevitably, and in support of the worldwide effort to contain the Coronavirus situation, we must postpone the EGGA Assembly 2020 that was planned for 8-10 June in Salzburg.

We are working with our venue and other suppliers in Salzburg to establish a new date for the event.

We will monitor the evolving situation and will confirm the new arrangements during May 2020. Registration for the event is now suspended until the new dates are confirmed.

Delegates that have already registered will be contacted in the next few days to arrange refunds or to transfer your registration fees to the rescheduled event. Your hotel rooms are fully refundable.

EGGA committee and Board members should hold the original June Assembly dates for interim web meetings to be held during that period.

Galvanizing Industry Launches Book on The Silo

The European General Galvanizers Association (EGGA) has published a book detailing Copenhagen’s stunning example of the architectural use of galvanized steel for over-cladding an existing building sustainably, effectively and rather cleverly.

Written by award-winning architectural journalist, Isabelle Priest, the book tells the story of Copenhagen’s industrial area, where the original building’s construction began in 1958. The historical architecture of the city’s North Harbour is depicted with original pictures of the site. The reader is then taken through COBE’s journey from planning stages to the construction of the façade including the rationale for using batch galvanized steel. The production and installation chapters explain the process of ‘bringing The Silo to life’.

The Silo is the Award Winner of the Global Galvanizing Awards 2018 which are held every 3 years. Details about the project and other entries can be found on www.intergalva.com.

‘The Silo: A New Façade for North Copenhagen’ is available upon request for architects and specifiers by contacting Marina Hofmann at marina@egga.com.

 

EGGA Pins Awarded for Contribution to Galvanizing Industry Marketing and Technical Progress

The European galvanizing industry has acknowledged the outstanding contribution of two people to the activities of the industry’s European organisation.  The prestigious EGGA Pin was awarded to Holger Glinde (Germany) and Lello Pernice (Italy) during the European General Galvanizers Association’s Assembly 2019 recently held in Antwerp.

When presenting these awards, EGGA President, Martin Kopf, emphasised the continued importance of individual personal commitments and capability to successful European collaboration within the industry.

Holger Glinde (Marketing Manager at the Industrieverband Feuerverzinken, Germany) recently stepped down as Chair of the EGGA Marketing Committee after 6 years during which he brought new ideas and a focus on some important market segments such as bridges and facades.

Lello Pernice (Technical Manager at Associazione Italiana Zincatura, Italy) finished a period of 8 years chairmanship of the EGGA Technical & Research Committee in 2018. He has played a leadership role in EGGA’s technical work – in particular, in standardisation where his expertise has been valuable in the development of international and European standards.

The awards were made at the Assembly 2019 dinner, attended by over 200 guests, at the Horta Café in Antwerp – an iconic piece of Art Nouveau architecture and a fitting location for an industry so closely linked to architecture and construction.

For a full list of past recipients of the EGGA Pin visit https://egga.wpengine.com/about-egga/egga-people/ 

 

 

 

 

 

 

EGGA Assembly 2019: See the Future

The conference programme for EGGA Assembly 2019 can now be viewed – click here.

Highlights are:

Prof Jacqueline Cramer …on the concept of circular economy to introduce a session on its application to construction with galvanized steel.

Koen Vandewalle (Kaseco)…on sustainable building projects with circular building approaches.

Geert van de Velde (ASK Romein BV) …on the latest trends in steel fabrication and the competition between steel and concrete (delegates can also visit ASK Romein on 13 June).

Pieter Aarts (VDL VDS Technische Industrie)…on lightening the load on the manufacturing workforce with automation and robotization  (delegates can also visit VDL VDS Technische Industrie on 13 June).

Bart van Damme (NMBS)…on use of galvanizing in rail projects, including experience with intumescent paints on galvanized steel.

Graeme Linklater (Memtech)…on new approaches to regeneration of spent pickle liquor in Australia.

Bruno Dursin (Zink Info Benelux)…on the galvanizing industry in the Benelux.

Prof Barbara Rossi (University of Oxford)…on latest perspectives on design of galvanized steel structures.

Santiago Lanza (Origen Solutions) ...on compliance with the Environmental Liability Directive for galvanizing plants.

Frank van Assche (IZA)…on his life’s work to unravel the facts about zinc in the environment.

Patrick Düren-Rost (IVF)…on new galvanized rebar initiatives in Germany.

Angela Curtis (Hasco-Thermic)…on digitisation and control of the galvanizing operations.

Other papers will cover environmental regulations, maintenance of old galvanized structures, fire engineering with galvanized steel and more…

We are also pleased that Annick de Ridder – Alderwoman of the City of Antwerp - will open the event on 11 June.

The conference benefits from full simultaneous interpretation in these languages: Dutch, French, English, German, Italian, Spanish.

EGGA Assembly 2019: Networking & Sponsorship Opportunities

There are excellent opportunities for suppliers of plant, equipment, process chemicals and other services to the industry to raise their profile at EGGA's Assembly 2019 through gold or silver sponsor packages or a display table.

EGGA would like to thank the following sponsors who have already committed their support for Assembly 2019:

Gold Sponsors: Rezinal Nv and Everzinc. Rezinal are sponsors of the Assembly Dinner.

Silver Sponsors:  KVK Koerner, AD Chemicals and Mefiag. Scheffer Krantechnik and W. Pilling Riepe GmbH & Co. KG are Silver Sponsors and are also sponsoring the Assembly 2019 Party.

The Assembly Dinner will take place on Tuesday 11 June at the Horta Restaurant and is sponsored by Rezinal Nv. Situated in the heart of Antwerp, the Horta restaurant is the perfect place to get a taste of the art nouveau décor signed by Belgium’s renowned architect, Victor Horta.

New for 2019 is the ‘Assembly Party’ on 12 June at the Felix Warehouse. Sponsors already include Scheffer Krantechnik and W. Pilling Riepe. Features include the presentation of the Benelux Trophy BBTV and live music.  The Felix warehouse is one of the most striking examples of Antwerp's warehouses from the 19th century.  The Assembly Party will be a relaxing and fun networking opportunity for all participants.

Network with other participants at Assembly 2019 by downloading and logging in to the event App. The App enables delegates to contact each other through the App before and during the event. The App also provides access to up-to-date and important event information all in one place. The Assembly 2019 App will be launched shortly and will only be available to registered delegates.

Interested in Sponsorship?
Contact Kimberley Warner (Kimberley@egga.com)