Insulation industry news from Global Insulation

Italy: Gamma Meccanica has acquired mineral wool pipe section production technology from Germany’s MPN Maschinenbau. As part of the purchase, Mark Desomer has joined the Italian mineral wool production line manufacturer. No value for the transaction has been disclosed.

“We are delighted to cooperate as one team in the future. It is an exciting new chapter to continue our journey to develop state of the art mineral wool pipe section production units based on our mutual know-how,” said Andrea Magnani Managing Director at Gamma Meccanica .

Slovenia: A fire has caused damage to Knauf Insulation’s Škofja Loka mineral wool plant. The fire started in a warehouse before spreading on 2 February 2019 before it was extinguished, according to the Slovenian Press Agency. No injuries were reported during the incident. The cause of the blaze is being investigated.

Slovenia: Knauf Insulation has celebrated the 60th anniversary of its Škofja Loka mineral wool plant. The plant originally opened in 1958 under the Termika brand. The company also opened the Knauf Insulation Experience Center (KIEXC), a sustainable building showcase. KIEXC will be used to provide an educational base for the latest construction techniques, energy advisory consultations and training.

“Thanks to Škofja Loka’s pioneering research and development we are the cutting edge of innovative solutions such as sandwich panels, fire-resistant rock mineral wool systems and domestic appliance insulation,” said Jean-Claude Carlin, president of the board of Knauf Insulation.

UK: Plans by Knauf Insulation and Veolia to tackle complains about the ‘offensive’ odour from a glass-recycling unit at Knauf’s St Helens mineral wool plant have been approved by the local council. The proposals include introducing a wet scrubber and extending the current dryerstack to 30m from 13m, according to the St Helens Star newspaper. These measures were suggested following an assessment with Odournet. Local residents have made complaints about the Veolia-run unit since it became operation in October 2017.

US/China: The Office of the US Trade Representative has started implementing a 10% tariff on mineral and other products from China, including mineral wool products, following a consultation period. Mineral products affected by the proposed tariffs of interest to the insulation industry include: slag wool, rock wool and similar mineral wools, in bulk, sheets or rolls; and nonwoven glass wool insulation products. The latest tariff list follows an earlier decision by the US government to tax imports from China worth US$34bn that came into force in early July 2018.

Romania: Denmark’s Rockwool has started construction work on a new stone wool plant at Ploiesti in Prahova county. Production at the Euro50m unit is scheduled to start in 2019, according to the Ziarul Financiar newspaper. Local construction company CON-A has been placed in charge of the project.

Malaysia: Knauf Insulation plans to build a Euro120m glass mineral wool plant at Johor Bahru. The new unit will have a production capacity of 75,000t/yr. It is scheduled to be completed in early 2020 and will create 180 jobs in Malaysia as well as a further 60 new positions across the region.

“We have seen record sales due to increasing energy costs across Asia and more stringent energy-saving building regulations in countries such as Australia, Japan and Korea,” said Stuart Dunbar, Regional General Manager for the Asia Pacific Region at Knauf Insulation.

The new plant will use up to 80% post-consumer recycled glass in the manufacturing process and feature Knauf patented high compression packaging. All products will be made using Knauf Insulation’s Ecose binder.

The company also intends to use Malaysia’s shipping links to develop new distribution partnerships in South-East Asian countries and strengthen its presence in the markets of Japan, Australia, Korea, New Zealand and Singapore.

Egypt: Amir Naguib, the head of GlassRock Insulation, said that the company's total investments reached US$63m by the end of 2017. The company supports the government’s plans to install thermal insulation in commercial, industrial, and residential facilities, according to Daily News Egypt. The mineral wool insulation producer has a production capacity of 50,000t/yr.

US: Rockwool has officially broken ground at a new stone wool in Ranson, Jefferson County in West Virginia. Once completed it will be the company’s second stone wool plant in the country. The project has had an investment of over US$150m and it will employ around 150 people when it opens. The unit is expected to open in the first quarter of 2020. It will manufacture a full range of Rockwool stone wool insulation products.

“Solid customer demand and strong market growth in the US and elsewhere reflects the reality that people are increasingly discovering the quality and advantages of our stone wool solutions. This is our second factory in the United States, which positions us well for future growth,” said Jen s Birgersson, president and chief executive officer (CEO) of Rockwool Group.

France: Knauf Insulation plans to invest Euro110m towards building a new rock wool plant at Illange in Moselle. The plant will have a production capacity of 0.11Mt/yr and it is scheduled to start operation at the end of 2019. Insulation produced at the site will be targeted at markets in France and Germany. The new plant is expected to create 120 jobs.