Insulation industry news from Global Insulation

Germany: The Central German Architects' Day took place in Apolda, Thuringia, in October 2024. The event included in-depth discussions on possible uses of regionally available alternative raw materials in insulation production. Stern Online News has reported that avenues for exploration include a novel load-bearing straw-based insulation developed at the Bauhaus University Weimar in Thuringia.

Germany: Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Polymer Research have developed a novel insulation from fungal mycelium. Professional Engineering News has reported that the materials are naturally woven by the mycelium filaments by which fungi spread. Researchers successfully varied fungus type, feed and environmental conditions to produce a range of performance characteristics comparable to conventional expanded polystyrene (EPS) and extruded polystyrene (XPS) insulation. Additionally, the materials offer high fire resistance and moisture regulation.

Sweden: Svenska Aerogel says that it has received an order for 360kg of its Quartzene silica aerogel from a Europe-based insulation producer. Quartzene is the brand name for various synthetic silica powder materials produced by Svenska Aerogel.

Denmark: Architecture and engineering consultancy firm Ramboll has published a new study into the possible reduction in CO2 emissions offered by wood-based construction. The study quantified the total reduction potential at 12 – 39%. Materials included in the study included wood fibre or paper insulation, alongside structural timber and wood cladding. Ramboll analysed six types of buildings, including multi-storey and single-family houses.

Austria: Strabag has acquired hemp insulation producer Naporo Klima Dammstoff from Synthesa. SeeNews has reported that Strabag expects the acquisition to help it to expand its product range in line with its 2040 decarbonisation target. Meanwhile, Naporo Klima Dammstoff says that it will work with Strabag to explore new applications for its products, including in green roofs and as acoustic insulation.

Synthesa managing director Georg Bluemel said “In Strabag, we have found a partner who will continue to write Naporo’s success story in the future. We look forward to additional growth prospects for the company and its employees.”

Australia: Murray Industrial Hemp has announced plans for an upcoming hemp-based building materials plant in Barham, New South Wales. Its products will include alternative insulation panels. Local press has reported that all of the plant’s products will align with Australia's new 7-Star Building Standards for energy-efficient homes. Murray Industrial Hemp expects to commission the plant by early 2026.

Director Joe D'Alo said "We believe industrial hemp holds the key to transforming how Australia builds. Our goal is to assist mainstream builders, enabling them to seamlessly integrate hemp building products into their standard processes. The building process doesn’t change with hemp blocks and hemp panels."

US: Hempitecture has inaugurated a hemp-based insulation plant in Jerome County, Idaho. The plant employs five people and produces insulation using hemp grown in Montana. The producer hopes to supply its flagship HempWool thermal insulation and other acoustic and continuous insulation products to major green building materials markets, including Denver, Los Angeles and San Francisco. It began developing hemp-based insulation in partnership with the University of Idaho with a US$207,000 grant from the Idaho state government in 2021.

Hempitecture CEO Mattie Mead said "We are ushering in the future of truly sustainable building materials."

UK: The Peatland Progress bog restoration project in Cambridgeshire will plant and harvest bulrushes for use as a raw material in alternative insulation production. The Evening Standard newspaper has reported that trials have successfully produced insulation from bulrushes in Germany and the Netherlands. Peatland Progress holds Euro9.08m in National Lottery funding. The project will rewet peat and restore wetland habitats over 120 hectares of the historic Fens.

US: Hemp Inc.’s Hempcrete insulation panels have received approval for residential construction use in an appendix to the US Residential Building Code. Hempcrete insulation consists of hemp stalk hurd and lime. It is fire-resistant, moisture regulating and sequesters CO₂ naturally due to its hemp content.

Hemp Inc. operates a multi-purpose hemp processing plant in Spring Hope, North Carolina.

US: Knauf Insulation is celebrating the 20th anniversary of the beginning of operations at its Shasta Lake glass wool insulation plant in California. Local press has reported that the company increased its capacity by 70% over the past two decades. Today, the Shasta Lake plant employs 156 people. It has implemented sustainable practices in its production, including the use of ECOSE Technology plant-based binders in the place of petrochemical alternatives. It also recycles 600,000 glass bottles daily, constituting 50% of its glass consumption. This presented the plant with difficulties when Covid-19 lockdowns reduced local waste glass generation.