Insulation industry news from Global Insulation

UK: France-based Saint-Gobain says that it will build a stone wool insulation plant in Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire, at the site of the former Holwell foundry. The plant will use electrical heat and be powered by renewable sources. When operational in 2027, it will have a capacity of 50,000t/yr and employ 250 people.

UK: Knauf Insulation plans to build a €202m, 100,000t/yr stone wool insulation plant in Shotton, Flintshire. The new Shotton plant will produce reduced-CO₂ insulation using a submerged arc furnace (SAF). It will be Knauf Insulation’s second in North Wales, along with its existing Queensferry stone wool insulation plant, also in Flintshire. The company’s other UK plants are in Cwmbrân, Gwent, and St Helens, Merseyside.

Managing director of Knauf Insulation Northern Europe Neil Hargreaves said "This project aligns with the Welsh and UK governments’ commitments to sustainability and the industrial vision for North Wales and Deeside. Using UK-first SAF technology, the new factory will support the need for safer, more energy efficient and sustainable buildings."

The new Shotton plant accords with the UK government’s €190m plans for a Flintshire and Wrexham Investment Zone, centred on ‘advanced manufacturing’ and intended to attract €1.19bn of private investments.

Russia: TechnoNICOL says that it will build a US$61.3m stone wool plant in the Krasnosulinsky Industrial Park in Rostov Oblast, scheduled for commissioning by late 2026. Interfax-Russia News has reported that the plant will include a 20MW power plant and new warehouses, situated on a 25ha site next to the company’s existing plant in the industrial park. Preparatory work is complete for the commencement of construction in May 2025.

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."

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.

Egypt: AlexForm has inaugurated its new US$13.8m, 2.1Mm²/yr Sokhna insulation plant in the Suez Canal Economic Zone. Arab News has reported that the plant is equipped with polyurethane (PU) and stone wool insulation production lines. It will employ 120 workers.

Spain: Saint-Gobain has launched a €40m expansion and upgrade to reduce CO₂ emissions by 70% at its Azuqueca insulation plant in Castilla-La Mancha. The producer will replace the plant’s existing furnace with a new electric one. When operational in early 2026, the upgraded line will expand the Azuqueca plant’s capacity by 40%. The furnace will run on renewable electricity sourced under a power purchase agreement signed with utilities provider Endesa in 2022.

US: Rockwool has approved a US$100m investment in the construction of a new line at its Marshall, Mississippi, insulation plant. When commissioned in 2027, the line will produce wallboard with WR-Tech enhanced water repellence and CR-Tech corrosion resistance. Dow Jones Institutional News has reported that the line is intended to meet increased demand for industrial insulation in the Gulf of Mexico region.

Rockwool CEO Jes Munk Hansen said "North America – and the US specifically – is an important strategic growth area for us. We have four insulation factories on the continent, with a fifth on the way in Washington state."

UK: Denmark-based Rockwool has acquired external thermal insulation composite systems producer Wetherby Building Systems. Reuters has reported that the newly acquired company will now operate as part of Rockwool Wall Systems, under the name Wetherby Wall Systems. The integration parallels that of previous Rockwool acquisitions in other markets, like Fast Wall Systems in Poland and Heck Wall Systems in Germany.

Rockwool CEO Jes Munk Hansen said “The share of stone wool insulation in the Wetherby business has been growing steadily, and we will be completing this transition to a fully stone wool-based portfolio, as we have done in other markets in the past.” He added that this will advance Rockwool’s transformation of the construction sector towards non-combustible façades.

Wetherby Building Systems managing director Bob Deane said “There is a long-standing relationship between Wetherby and Rockwool, and the match is strong on all significant drivers.”

India: Rockwool India has commenced construction of a new US$65.5m mineral wool insulation plant in Cheyyar, Tamil Nadu. The Hindu newspaper has reported that the plant will produce 50,000t/yr of stone wool insulation from its commissioning in early 2026. The plant will employ 150 people and will overtake the Dahej, Gujarat, plant as Rockwool India’s largest. The subsidiary of Denmark-based Rockwool opened the 40,000t/yr Dahej plant in 2011.

Managing director Darryl Mathews said “Our non-combustible products are witnessing increasing demand in India. Additionally, we will introduce dual-density technology aimed at residential renovation and construction projects.”

Group chair Thomas Kähler said “I am pleased to announce our second investment in India. This expansion is just the beginning, as we anticipate further developments in response to the growing demand for our products.”