Insulation industry news from Global Insulation

Austria: Knauf Insulation will build a €30m, 10,000t/yr mineral wool recycling plant at Ferndorf in Villach, Carinthia. When commissioned in late 2026, the plant will recycle both glass and stone wool insulation. Kleine Zeitung Online News has reported that the process will consist of melting and granulation of the materials for use in subsequent insulation production.

The Austrian government will introduce a landfill ban for mineral wool from January 2027, but the country currently has no recycling plants for the material.

Finland: Saint-Gobain Isover has commenced production at its upgraded Forssa glass wool insulation plant in Kanta-Häme. Financial Wire News has reported that production is powered by a 50:50 energy mix of biogas and hydroelectricity. The producer says that this will reduce the Forssa plant's CO₂ emissions by 1500t/yr.

Saint-Gobain Isover is Finland’s largest consumer of recycled glass, of which the Forssa plant uses 80% in its raw materials mix.

UK: Indinature has secured approval for the use of its IndiBreathe hemp insulation in two UK Office of Gas and Electricity Markets (Ofgem) home insulation schemes. IndiBreathe will be the first natural fibre insulation used in such a scheme in the UK when it debuts in the Great British Insulation Scheme (GBIS) and Energy Company Obligation 4 (ECO4) initiatives. Construction Index News has reported that utilities provider Scottish Power sponsored Indinature’s application for the approval.

Sales Director Brian Monaghan said "Contractors can now specify a natural, sustainable and healthy high-performance insulation product when installing loft insulation under the government schemes."

UK: Wull Technologies has secured funding to scale production of its LAMDA sheep’s wool-based insulation panels. The company will produce the panels at its Manchester plant, using wool from sheep in Wales. Farming UK News has reported that the insulation is both recyclable and biodegradable. It matches the thermal and acoustic performance of mineral wool, but with increased moisture management ability.

The University of Manchester's Innovation Factory and the Greater Manchester Combined Authority supplies the latest funding, bringing the total received by the company to €597,000.

Technical Director Liam Britnell said "We set out to use materials science to open up new markets for this abundant and underutilised material. Rigid panel insulation is widely used and preferred across the construction sector because it is easy to handle, install and cut to shape."

UK: France-based Saint-Gobain says that it will build a stone wool insulation plant in Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire, at the site of the former Holwell foundry. The plant will use electrical heat and be powered by renewable sources. When operational in 2027, it will have a capacity of 50,000t/yr and employ 250 people.