Insulation industry news from Global Insulation

Russia: TechnoNicol expects to commission its upgraded Khabarovsk stone wool insulation plant later in 2023. Local press has reported that the on-going upgrade involves replacement of the plant's rock melting furnaces and fibreisation chambers. When commissioned, the upgraded plant will produce insulation using a biopolymer bonding agent. The producer expects to export its products to the Japan and South Korea markets.

Russia: TechnoNicol plans to invest around Euro350m towards building two stone wool plants as well as other expanded production in other business areas including agricultural applications. A 1.5Mm³/yr stone wool plant will be built in the Novgorod special economic zone, according to the AK&M Information Agency. Construction of a new 1.4Mm³/yr stone wool plant near Almaty in Kazakhstan is scheduled to start in the first quarter of 2022. Both project have a combined an investment of Euro127m. Additionally, the insulation producer is reportedly looking for a site to build an additional stone wool plant in the far east of Russia.

The company also plans in 2022 to launch a new production line for stone wool substrates for use in greenhouse farming at a plant in the Rostov region. Around Euro6m will be spent on the upgrade. Once complete the line will be able to supply the Southern Federal and South Caucasus districts. It will be TechnoNicol’s third production line for mineral wool substrates, joining plants at Ryazan and Tatarstan.

Russia: TechnoNicol plans to carry out an upgrade at its Khabarovsk basalt mineral wool insulation plant. The planned project will fully automate production at the plant and double its capacity. The producer expects the upgrade to improve safety, sustainability and product quality.

UK: Superglass has completed a Euro43m upgrade to its glass wool plant in Stirling, Scotland. Production capacity at the unit has been doubled to 60,000t/yr, according to the Scotsman newspaper. A new furnace, curing oven and an automatic packing system were installed as part of the upgrade. The project was first announced in 2017 following the acquisition of the company by Russia’s TechnoNicol in 2016.

Uzbekistan: Russia’s TechnoNicol is ‘seriously considering’ building a new 1.3Mm³/yr stone wool insulation plant In Uzbekistan. Vasily Tkachev, the head of the Mineral Insulation division of TechnoNicol, said that building a plant in the country would be ‘geographically justified,’ according to the Trend News Agency. He added that ‘significant’ changes in the local regulatory framework were expected regarding the requirements for energy efficiency of buildings during new construction and reconstruction. A final decision on the project will be made following a full assessment of the market and its potential sales regions.

UK: Superglass’ revenue grew by 34% year-on-year to Euro37.9m in 2018 from Euro27.2m in 2017. Its profit rose by 37% to Euro0.65m. The subsidiary of Russia’s TechnoNicol Group said that it benefitted from increased sales, higher selling prices and operational cost efficiencies.

“Demand for glass wool insulation continues to be very strong both domestically and in export markets, and with the major manufacturing investment we’re making in the Stirling site, Superglass is set to double its production output capabilities and capitalise on the opportunity,” said Theresa McLean, Chief Financial Officer for TechnoNicol UK and Ireland.

Russia: TechnoNicol plans to spend around Euro5m on an upgrade to its Chelyabinsk mineral wool plant. The majority of the investment will go towards refurbishing the unit’s production line, according to the AK&M Information Agency. The rest will be spent on installing additional cleaning and treatment systems. Once the upgrade is completed the plant will start producing rolled technical insulation materials based on rock wool. The unit will have a production capacity of 0.27Mm³/yr

Azerbaijan/Georgia: TechnoNicol plans to increase its mineral wool exports to Azerbaijan and Georgia from Russia by 30% year-on-year in 2019, according to the Trend News Agency. Mineral wool production at its Krasny Sulin plant in Russia increased by 6% year-on-year to 1.5Mm3 in 2018 due to growing exports.

India: Russia’s TechnoNicol has appointed Ramnik Kohli as the chief executive officer (CEO) of Indian business. Previously, Kohli was the country head for Russia and Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) for Micromax Informatics, according to Asian News International. He has also worked with Sistema Shyam Teleservices as Assistant Director. He holds a PhD in Economics and Marketing from the State University of Management in Moscow, Russia.

UK: Russia’s TechnoNicol is to spend Euro42m towards upgrading its mineral wool plant in Stirling operated by Superglass. The investment will double the plant’s production capacity to 60,000t/yr. The upgrade work will include installing a new 187t furnace and curing ovens. Cooling, cutting and milling equipment will be replaced and an automatic packing system will be installed. Construction will start early in 2018.

“TechnoNicol’s backing is a real vote of confidence in Scottish manufacturing, both in terms of the quality of the work we do here and the expertise of the workforce. It is a validation of our strategy within Superglass over recent years and very personally satisfying for me to see further consolidation of the initial investment at our regional headquarters,” said Ken Munro, chief executive officer (CEO) of TechnoNicol UK, Ireland and USA which incorporates the Superglass business.

TechnoNicol operates 52 manufacturing facilities across Russia and Europe.