Insulation industry news from Global Insulation

UK: Denmark-based Rockwool has announced plans to replace natural gas used in its Bridgend stone wool insulation plant's combustion systems and curing ovens with green hydrogen produced on-site. Engineering company Marubeni Europower and consultancy Mott MacDonald will also be involved in the project. H2 News has reported that the work will rely on US$462,000 in government funding.

Rockwool's managing director Rafael Rodriguez said “The group has set ambitious decarbonisation targets, verified and approved by the Science Based Target Initiative, and in line with this, we are looking forward to enhancing our own understanding about the potential for green hydrogen use in our business.”

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."