Insulation industry news from Global Insulation

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.”

Russia: TechnoNICOL has announced plans for a third stone wool insulation plant in the eastern Krai of Khabarovsk. The plant will have a production capacity of 400,000m³/yr of stone wool, and will produce thermal and acoustic insulation and technical insulation, including stone wool substrates for use in hydroponic plant cultivation. Together with an on-going upgrade to an existing stone wool insulation plant at the site, the project will cost US$37.6m, AK&M News has reported. Pre-design construction, land leasing and procurement of ‘key equipment’ for the new plant are currently underway, with commissioning scheduled for late 2026. TechnoNICOL then expects to complete the upgrade to the existing plant in 2027.

Sweden: Rockwool says that it plans to build a new 100,000t/yr stone wool insulation plant in Eskilstuna, Södermanland. When commissioned after June 2027, the plant will serve the Swedish and Finnish markets. It will run on low-carbon electricity from Sweden’s national grid.

Nordics regional managing director Frank Larsen said "Our customers are increasingly demanding low-carbon footprint building materials to achieve their own decarbonisation objectives as well as EU-wide targets in the Energy Efficiency and Energy Performance of Buildings directives. Rockwool's proprietary large-scale electrical melting technology, drawing on Sweden's abundant supply of low-carbon electricity, will help meet this need, which we expect to grow over time as the EU directives get implemented."

Kazakhstan: Russia-based TechnoNICOL has begun building its upcoming US$124m Karaganda insulation plant. Interfax Kazakhstan Newswire has reported that the plant will export 30% of its insulation to Russia. Additionally, it will export some insulation to China, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia and Uzbekistan.

US: Kingspan Insulated Panels North America is building a new K-Roc mineral wool insulation plant in Mattoon, Illinois. The producer expects the plant to commence operations in early 2025. It will be equipped with a solar power plant and rainwater harvesting system, recycling system and electric vehicle charging stations. When operational, it will employ 50 people. Kingspan’s K-Roc mineral wool insulation offers a three-hour fire rating in wall applications and one-hour fire rating in ceiling applications.

Kingspan Insulated Panels North America president Alswinn Kieboom said "As a result of continued growth and optimism for the future, the addition of this new facility complements our existing footprint in North America, giving us better access to our customer base. We are looking forward to launching this new site and having a presence in the Midwest."

Russia/Kazakhstan: TechnoNICOL plans to invest US$109m in capital expenditure (CAPEX) in Russia and Kazakhstan throughout 2024. The sum is triple TechnoNICOL’s 2023 CAPEX, according to the company. US$27.3m will go towards two projects in Kazakhstan: the completion of the upcoming Almaty insulation plant, scheduled for September 2024, and the start of construction of the upcoming Karaganda insulation plant. The remainder of the sum will fund other projects, including the construction of the upcoming Rostov insulation plant and an expansion to the Chelyabinsk insulation plant, both in Russia.

Mongolia: Mongol Basalt produced 2248t of stone wool insulation in 2024, which it says helped Mongolians to reduce their energy consumption by 78GW. Nonetheless, the producer’s sales fell by 20%, amid a 35% drop in its prices.

During 2023, Mongol Basalt commenced construction of a new production line at its Ulaanbaatar insulation plant. The UB Post newspaper has reported that the company expects the upgrade to double its capacity to 50,000t/yr, and to introduce new energy-efficient solutions.

Serbia: Knauf Insulation Serbia has completed a Euro20m upgrade to its Surdulica stone wool plant. Production has restarted at the unit, according to SeeNews. The company has replaced equipment on the production line and chimney, and installed a new palletisation machine and a desulfurisation system, thereby increasing the recycling capacity of the factory. The investment also includes a new logistics building and a truck parking area. The company plans to hire 15 new employees from May 2023 to support the changes.

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.