Insulation industry news from Global Insulation

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.

Russia: TechnoNICOL plans to build a further plant in Khabarovsk Krai. Interfax Russia & CIS Business News has reported that the plant will produce technical insulation, as well as 80,000m³/yr of shipbuilding insulation and 20,000m³/yr of substrates for vegeculture. TechnoNICOL plans to invest US$3.49m in the plant, and commission it in mid-late 2025.

Russia: TechnoNICOL plans to invest US$11m in automating logistics across its mineral wool plants by 2026. Russian-owned AK&M News has reported that the investments will go towards the installation of automated loading equipment and plant digital twins. This is expected to more than double labour productivity to 180,000m³/yr per worker. Plants scheduled for automation upgrades in 2025 include the Serpukhov and Chudov glasswool insulation plants.

TechnoNICOL’s total investments in automation and digitisation totalled US$2.75m in 2024.

Russia: TechnoNICOL and the Corporation for the Development of the Far East and the Arctic (KRDV) have agreed to build a new US$29.3m, 400,000m³/yr stone wool insulation plant in Khabarovsk Krai. When commissioned in late 2026 or early 2027, the plant will be TechnoNICOL’s third in the krai and will employ 140 people. Russian-owned AK&M News has reported that surveys and design documentation for the plant are scheduled for submission in June 2025.

Russia: TechnoNICOL has installed a new glass furnace and polymerisation chamber at its Serpukhov glass wool plant in Moscow Oblast. AK&M News has reported that that the upgrade will expand the plant’s glass wool capacity to just under 2Mm³/yr and enable it to produce a total of 300 different types of insulation. TechnoNICOL is investing US$18m in the project, which uses equipment from Russian suppliers and is intended to reduce the sanctioned nation’s reliance on imports.

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.

Lithuania: Russia-based TechnoNicol has divested its Baltic roofing and waterproofing membranes business, Mida, to France-based Soprema. The business includes plants in Lithuania. TechnoNicol acquired Mida in 2001. BNS News has reported that its sales dropped by 17% to €38m in 2023, following the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Mida said "Mida has completely cut off all ties with its former owner, Technonicol. Mida is beginning a new stage in the growth of its business in Europe."

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.

Kazakhstan: TechnoNICOL has inaugurated its new US$20m, Almaty extruded polystyrene (XPS) insulation plant in the Kairat Industrial Zone. Once fully operational, the plant will have a capacity of 400,000m³/yr, AK&M News has reported. Exports to Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan will follow the launch of the plant’s products on the Kazakh market later in 2024.

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.