Insulation industry news from Global Insulation

Germany: BASF has completed a pilot, with Frankfurt-based housing society ABG and external thermal insulation composite systems producer Sto, testing an insulation board based on expandable polystyrene (EPS) containing recycled material. Around 10% of the polystyrene was replaced with a recycled substitute during the test. The results showed that the newly developed board met the same quality standards as standard market products. The sustainability targets of ABG was one of the key impetuses for the project.

BASF used its Neopor F 5 Mcycled product in the test. It is a graphite-containing expandable polystyrene granulate that contains 10% recycled material. The recycled material comes from mechanically recycled EPS waste. The aim is to other byproducts for the production of Neopor Mcycled in the future, such as EPS off-cuts from construction sites.

US: Johns Manville (JM) plans to build a new blowing wool production line at its Winder glass wool plant in Georgia. Construction is expected to start early in 2026 and the new line will be operational in mid-2027. When this project is complete, JM will employ more than 350 people in Winder.

“Climate Pro insulation continues to see strong growth and demand in the market,” said Bob Wamboldt, president and CEO of Johns Manville. The new production line is intended to give JM easier access to Central and East Coast markets in the country.

Germany: Saint-Gobain subsidiary Isover has announced the upcoming closure of the glass wool line at its Bergisch Gladbach plant in North Rhine-Westphalia. Energate Messenger News has reported that this is due to a local homebuilding ‘slump’ and reduced export volumes. As a result, Isover will cancel a planned green hydrogen plant project at the site.

Isover will now relocate ‘part of the production lost’ from Bergisch Gladbach to its Speyer plant in Rhineland-Palatinate.

UK: Rockwool has submitted a Section 73 application to Birmingham City Council in support of its plans to build a factory at a site in Peddimore, Minworth. The plant would be only its second in the UK. The application requests permission to vary some of the details in the current planning permissions at Peddimore to suit Rockwool's specific proposal. If approved, Rockwool will then submit a more detailed reserved matters application later in 2025 or early 2026. Once detailed plans are developed there will be another round of community consultation. Rockwool hopes that construction can begin in 2026, with production starting in 2029.

Rockwool's proposed new factory will feature proprietary electric melting technology and boost supply capacity for UK and Ireland customers while also supporting its global sustainability plans. The Peddimore site at Minworth has been designated specifically for manufacturing and logistics uses and is part of a long-running regeneration and development project.

Rockwool’s UK and Ireland managing director Nick Wilson said "Since we announced our intentions to expand the business into the West Midlands, we have had an opportunity to share our plans with the community and are very grateful to those who have provided feedback. We are taking all feedback into consideration as we develop the plans and have included the community's observations so far in our Section 73 application to the council. We look forward to meeting with community members again in the coming months."

Canada: Saint-Gobain Canada has appointed Jean-Claude Lasserre as its CEO, effective 1 April 2025. Lasserre brings over 30 years of experience working for Saint-Gobain across multiple continents, most recently serving as Saint-Gobain Surface Solutions CEO in France. Lasserre succeeds Julie Bonamy, who oversaw US$2.77bn in strategic acquisitions for Saint-Gobain Canada, including of metal products company Bailey Group of Companies, roofing company Building Products of Canada and siding products company Kaycan.

Lasserre said "My primary focus will be to connect with our customers and support our teams as we continue our work to offer a complete portfolio of building products with our recent acquisitions, while reinforcing our commitment to sustainable construction. We are eagerly anticipating the completion of North America's first zero-carbon wallboard plant in Sainte-Catherine, Quebec, and the imminent launch of CarbonLow drywall."

Spain: Kingspan Insulation Southern Europe has launched a new polyisocyanurate (PIR) insulation panel, called Therma TA41, in Spain. This product aims to meet the demand for high-performance thermal insulation solutions in building applications. Interempresas Construcción News has reported that Therma TA41 insulation has a thermal conductivity of 0.022W/mK and is suitable for use in flat roofs, ceilings, walls and floors.

Iraq: Researchers found that a sawdust-clay composite reduced power consumption for cooling by up to 37% when used as insulation in test rooms in Kirkuk. In a paper published in the Scientific Reports journal, the team recorded a thermal conductivity of the material of 0.44W/mK. It noted the suitability of the material as a circular insulation alternative for construction in arid regions.

Russia: TechnoNICOL says that it will invest US$219m in new mineral wool plants and plant upgrades in Russia throughout 2025, as part of a drive to raise its capacity to 5Mm³/yr by 2030. Interfax has reported that projects include the upcoming Krasnosulinsky stone wool insulation plant in Rostov, scheduled to open in late 2026. In Moscow, the company is investing US$46.2m to rebuild it Serpukhov glass wool plant, scheduled for completion in April 2026. At its Ryazan plant, meanwhile, TechnoNICOL is installing a 1.25Mm³/yr mineral wool recycling line and captive power plant, with a combined investment of US$29m.

Spain: Sika España has rebranded its Cototerm façade insulation system as SikaTherm. Nueva Ferretería News has reported that the newly rebranded product integrates the producer’s local experience with its global research and development.

US: The Polyisocyanurate Insulation Manufacturers Association (PIMA) has opposed the Washington State government’s identification of all organohalogen flame retardants (OFRs) as a priority chemical for additional regulations, including a possible ban. PIMA, along with other industry associations, argues that a blanket treatment of OFRs ignores variations in their chemical structure and risk profiles, thereby complicating efforts to identify safer alternatives while continuing to ensure insulation’s performance and fire safety.