Insulation industry news from Global Insulation

India: Saint-Gobain has entered into an agreement to acquire Indian market leader glass wool insulation producer Twiga Fiberglass, local press has reported. Twiga Fiberglass has produced insulation as a licensee of Saint-Gobain's glass wool insulation technology since 2005.

Saint-Gobain previously acquired stone wool insulation producer Rockwool India in February 2022.

India: Germany-based chemicals producer BASF has broken ground on its construction of a polyurethane (PU) application development laboratory in Mumbai, Maharashtra. From its inauguration in 2024, the laboratory will offer customer support services including customised formulations, line trials and training sessions PU industry partners, including insulation producers. In this, it will support the work of BASF’s existing Creation Center at its Mumbai Innovation Campus.

BASF’s senior vice president, performance materials Asia Pacific, Andy Postlethwaite said “As a part of the global innovation network, the lab will enable global and regional BASF teams to work closely with local customers in testing and formulation optimisation. BASF has been providing technical services to customers, enabling the co-creation of innovative product solutions with its high-performance materials. With our strength in innovation and comprehensive range of high-quality solutions, we help our customers meet increasingly stringent regulatory standards and optimise product properties for their specific needs at an early stage.”

India: Knauf Insulation has donated and installed a 600m² insulative Urbanscape Green Roof at Piala Ashar Alo girls’ primary school in Kolkata, West Bengal. The roof includes a 2cm-thick layer of exposed mineral wool in which plants are able to grow. By retaining up to 47% of rainwater, the roof can help to prevent streets from flooding in the rainy season. Knauf Insulation’s Slovenia-based Urbanscape team supported the installation. The producer says that the renovation will protect learners from summer highs of 40°C and winter lows of 9°C, as well as seasonal dust squalls and downpours.

Head of building science Domen Ivanšek said “The flat surface of the 10cm-thick concrete roof was constantly hot, overheating the rooms below, and it was covered with a latex waterproof layer that was coming to the end of its life. When the school’s head said she wanted to provide the children with a place to learn about gardening and botanical science, it was clear that an Urbanscape Green Roof was the best solution all round.”

India: France-based Saint-Gobain has agreed to buy Rockwool India from Alghanim Group for an undisclosed amount. The acquisition will see Saint-Gobain enter the insulation sector directly in the country adding to its existing presence in the gypsum, glass and construction chemical sectors. The deal is subject to the completion of conditions set out in the agreement and approvals from the relevant authorities. It is expected to be completed in first quarter of 2022.

Rockwool India is a manufacturer of stone wool in India with a wide range of insulation products for thermal, acoustic and fire safety applications. It is also a licensee of Saint-Gobain technology for the manufacture of stone wool in the country. The company operates two production plants, one in Hyderabad and another in Silvassa, with a total capacity of around 50,000t/yr. Saint-Gobain also said that it has a ‘strong’ marketing network across the country.

World: US-based Huntsman has announced a natural gas surcharge of Euro125/t on its sales of methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI) in Europe, India and the Middle East and Africa (MEAF), in response to an ‘unprecedented’ rise in natural gas prices in the region. The measure entered effect on 1 October 2021. The company says that this has adversely affected the energy inputs, intermediates and multiple feedstock costs incurred in its MDI production.
The new surcharge will operate in conjunction with any previously announced MDI price increases.

Huntsman's Polyurethanes president Tony Hankins said "Huntsman is already working with its customers to manage the impact of the surcharge, which was necessary to respond to the unexpected and unprecedented increase in our production costs."

India: Russia’s TechnoNicol has appointed Ramnik Kohli as the chief executive officer (CEO) of Indian business. Previously, Kohli was the country head for Russia and Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) for Micromax Informatics, according to Asian News International. He has also worked with Sistema Shyam Teleservices as Assistant Director. He holds a PhD in Economics and Marketing from the State University of Management in Moscow, Russia.

India: Wacker Metroark Chemicals has officially opened a 6000t/day hydrosilylation plant for manufacturing functional silicone fluids at Amtala near Kolkata. The plant cost Euro6m. The expansion is Wacker’s response to growing regional demand for specialty silicones for use in the textile, personal care, rigid and flexible polyurethane foam and agrochemical sectors. Polyurethane foams produce at the unit will be used to make insulation materials and other products.

“Our new hydrosilylation plant enables us to address promising new markets where we haven’t been represented in India and Southeast Asia until now – for example the market for silicone functional fluids with its many sales opportunities,” said Soumitra Mukherjee, Managing Director of Wacker Metroark Chemicals.

Wacker Metroark Chemicals is a joint venture between Germany’s Wacker and Metroark. The company is responsible for all marketing and sales activities in the India relating to Wacker silicones. Wacker owns a 51% share in the joint venture, which was set up in 1998.

India: NBCC India has signed a deal with Poland’s Bolix to use its external thermal insulation and composite systems (ETICS) solutions technology. The state-owned construction company intends to use ETICS technology in its on-going and upcoming projects in both India and overseas, according to the Press Trust of India. Initially, the company will import the building materials and technology but Bolix is also considering building a plant in India.

India: Jindal Mectec will inaugurate its new US$11m polyurethane foam (PUF) panel plant on 5 April 2016. The plant in Pithampur, Madhya Pradesh will have a production capacity of 1.8Mm². State chief minister Shivraj Singh will officially inaugurate the site.

"The new plant set up with a capital outlay of US$11m is built on a 10-acre plot. It is based on the latest European technology to manufacture insulated PUF panels for the refrigerated and industrial buildings segment, using an ozone friendly process," said Jindal Mectec Chairman Pawan Jindal.

The new plant is intended to meet the needs of industrial customers in central and western India. The plant will employ 150 people when fully operational.

India: BASF has unveiled its largest construction chemicals plant in Nellore, Andhra Pradesh. This is BASF's fifth construction chemicals plant in the country.

With its state-of-the-art technology and its strategic location close to regional growth centres, the plant will enable BASF to respond in a timely fashion to customers' needs in the southern part of India and to support them with high-performance solutions in the highly-competitive market.

"With the new plant at Nellore, BASF offers a comprehensive range of solutions to help construct buildings that are more energy-efficient, durable and require fewer resources for maintenance," said Ralf Spettmann, president of construction chemicals at BASF.