Insulation industry news from Global Insulation

World: Germany-based gypsum wallboard and plaster producer Knauf and its insulation subsidiary Knauf Insulation have consolidated their online presence with a new website, knauf.com. The site offers access to the group’s entire product range. Knauf said that the shift aims to help customers to increase their productivity.

Knauf Ibérica marketing and technical director Pablo Maroto said "This new platform reinforces our commitment to innovation and facilitates access to our solutions at a global level."

US: Knauf Insulation has secured US$3.28m in funding from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to develop and verify Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) for insulation. Knauf Insulation will produce the EPDs based on comprehensive Life Cycle Assessments of its products.

Knauf North America director of sustainability Gabriela Fleury said "Transparency is embedded in our core values and a key component of our business conduct. It is imperative that our product documentation provides accurate, reliable and updated information to our stakeholders. This grant will leverage the development and improvement of EPDs, which not only allows clients to make informed decisions about lower embodied carbon products, but also indicate areas of improvement to lower greenhouse gas emissions throughout our operations. This grant represents a significant sustainability leap for all of our stakeholders. It enables us to enhance our EPD portfolio, meeting increasing market demands for product transparency."

Spain: Knauf Ibérica has announced the launch of Etiks, a façade system comprised of Aquapanel Outdoor mineral wool and expanded polystyrene boards. Alimarket-Construcción News has reported that the system is compatible with Knauf ColorMix technology, enabling rapid on-site colouring of finishes or primers.

Product manager Isabel Gómez said "The external thermal insulation composite system is very interesting for refurbishing or constructing buildings for energy efficiency, greater comfort and savings in air conditioning."

UK: Knauf Insulation UK & Ireland is preparing to build a €200m rock mineral wool plant to supply the UK market. The company is currently discussing with the authorities where the plant will be situated. The unit will have a production capacity of over 100,000t/yr and will use low-carbon electric melting technology. It is anticipated the additional capacity will become available in 2026.

Neil Hargreaves, Knauf Insulation’s Managing Director for Northern Europe, said "Following the €50m investment across our two UK glass mineral wool plants in 2023 - 2024, this represents another exciting development for the business and our valued customers, as well as a further sign of confidence from Knauf Group in the future growth of the UK and Northern European mineral wool markets. The investment represents a step change in the capacity, capability, and sustainability of our UK rock mineral wool solutions, whilst significantly contributing towards Knauf Group’s ambitious sustainability goals."

North America: Knauf Insulation has launched its new Knauf Performance+ range of glass wool insulation for heating, ventilation and air conditioning applications. The launch of the range, which is asthma and allergy friendly and formaldehyde-free, coincided with the start of Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month on 1 May 2024.

Knauf Insulation said “In a world where indoor air is two-to-five times more polluted than outdoor air, improving indoor air quality is critical.” Senior vice president sales, marketing and innovation Nathan Walker added “By the end of 2024, Knauf commits to eliminating formaldehyde from all its remaining products. This move sets a new standard in the production of high-performing building materials.”

Russia: Knauf is seeking to transfer its ‘entire business in Russia’ to its local management, pending the approval of Russian authorities. The Kyiv Independent newspaper has reported that Knauf elected for the transfer in order to protect the jobs of 4000 employees in the country.

Germany/Ukraine: The Würzburg Prosecutor's Office has opened a preliminary investigation into Knauf over its alleged involvement in the on-going reconstruction of Russian-occupied Mariupol. The investigation will seek to establish whether an ‘initial suspicion’ of criminal activity exists. Germany-based media outlet ARD published its allegation of Knauf’s involvement in the reconstruction via the use of its materials earlier in April 2024.

The producer denied the allegations, adding that it complies with relevant laws and sanctions.

US: Germany-based Knauf Insulation celebrated the 45th anniversary of its US operations earlier in November 2023. The producer first entered the market following its acquisition of the Shelbyville glass wool insulation plant in Indiana in 1978. It has since grown its business from 450 employees at the Shelbyville plant to 1600 employees across six different sites.

Knauf North America CEO Matt Parrish said “Our commitment to innovation and sustainability has been a driving force behind our continued success and we are excited for what the future holds. As we look ahead, we will continue to prioritise our employees, customers, and the communities we serve, with a focus on creating innovative solutions that shape the way we live and build."

Romania: Knauf Insulation has broken ground on the construction of a second insulation plant at the site of its existing Târnăveni mineral wool insulation plant. SeeNews has reported that, when commissioned in 2024, the new plant will have a production capacity of 100Mm²/yr of mineral wool insulation. It will also create 100 new jobs. Knauf Insulation said that the project will bring its total investments in the Târnăveni site to Euro135m.

Croatia: Knauf Insulation plans to invest Euro120m to build a second production line at its Novi Marof stone wool insulation plant. HINA News has reported that Knauf Insulation managing partner Alexander Knauf met government officials to discuss the company's plan. The producer says that the new line will create 70 direct jobs.