Insulation industry news from Global Insulation

Kazakhstan: Russia-based TechnoNICOL says that it will invest US$107m in the construction of the upcoming Almaty stone wool insulation plant, up by 82% from its previous estimate of US$59m. The producer began building the plant in August 2023. At that time, it was due to have a production capacity of 1.4Mm³/yr when operational.

Interfax has reported that TechnoNICOL’s head of mineral insulation Vasily Tkachev said "We have fairly big plans for the next three years. We see that the construction sector is growing, construction is being actively supported by the government. We feel the state's support and are moving forward, so that when there is demand there will be product. We're forced to open production earlier, forecasting growing demand."

Uzbekistan: Russia-based TechnoNICOL to invest US$13.1m in the construction of a new extruded polystyrene (XPS) insulation plant in Angren. AK&M News has reported that the plant will have a capacity of 300,000m²/yr. It will produce TechnoNICOL’s range of 20 – 120mm-thick XPS insulation. Construction will commence in 2024 and the plant will employ 50 people when operational.

Germany: Masterplast has inaugurated the new Euro3m storehouse at its Achersleben non-woven fleece products plant in Saxony-Anhalt. The plant produces non-woven fleece products for various applications from polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP). Masterplast has announced a budget for Euro50m of upcoming investments across Central and Eastern Europe.

Chair Tibor David said “The new hall allows for flexible, smaller-scale servicing and is a crucial step in strengthening our market positions in the EU's largest market.”

Serbia: Hungary-based Masterplast has inaugurated the 150,000m³/yr Subotica insulation plant in Vojovodina. GradSubotica News has reported that the plant will be the first in Serbia to produce extruded polystyrene (XPS) insulation. The Hungarian Export Promotion Agency (HEPA) provided 50% of investment in the plant. Masterplast's on-going strategic expansion in Southeast Europe is aimed at making it insulation market leader amid growing demand in the region.

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.

Serbia: Masterplast has concluded a deal to acquire the outstanding 49% stake in mineral wool insulation producer Masterwool MW-1. Masterwool MW-1 is currently building a new Euro20m mineral wool insulation plant in Vojvodina. The project is supported by a grant from Hungarian state-owned Hungarian Export Promotion Agency (HEPA).

Masterplast plans to commence a Euro50m growth phase in the near-term future. It expects its sales to drop in the first half of 2023 due to negative trends in new home construction. However, it expects recent new expanded polystyrene (EPS) and extruded polystyrene (XPS) insulation capacity to partly offset this.

US: Owens Corning has published plans for a new extruded polystyrene (XPS) insulation plant in Russellville, Arkansas. The Courier newspaper has reported that the plant will produce the company's Foamular NGX brand insulation. It will employ an estimated 50 people.

Owens Corning previously invested US$24.5m in an expansion to its Fort Smith glass and mineral wool insulation plant in the state, also creating 50 new jobs.

Finland: Metsä Group has invested in wood fibre insulation producer Fiberwood in a late seed funding round. The round was led by Metsä Group’s new business and research subsidiary Metsä Spring. It also included government financing from Business Finland.

Fiberwood is developing and manufacturing wood fibre insulation and packaging materials made from mechanical wood industry side streams. The Finland-based company was founded in 2019.

Karita Kinnunen-Raudaskoski, the Director of Technology and Product Development at Fiberwood, said “Since September 2022, in our first phase of production we have been able to produce commercial-sized insulation boards for testing. Next, we will build a continuous pilot line for production-scale product and process development. As no existing machinery and processes can produce our products, we need to invent new technology to do so.”

Hungary: Masterplast has concluded an agreement to acquire Pimco. Pimco is in the process of establishing a Euro35.7m, 20,000t/yr glass wool plant at Szerencs, Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén County. Növekedés News has reported that an advance investment by Masterplast in the company will enable Pimco's Szerencs plant project to move into the implementation phase. It would then enter production in 2024. Masterplast will fund the investment using the proceeds of its Euro23.3m stock market capital raising in October 2022. The upcoming Szerencs plant was previously the subject of a Euro35.7m grant from the Hungarian Investment Promotion Agency.

Masterplast employs 1400 people across 10 countries.

Romania: Knauf Insulation will invest Euro135m in expanding its Târnăveni glass wool insulation plant and building a new adjacent plant at the site. Knauf Insulation says that the major expansion will advance the Romanian government's 'energy savings offensive' by supporting a renovation drive for the country’s housing stock. The government aims to increase the national area of modern renovated properties by a factor of six, with a Euro30bn allocation from its Recovery and Resilience Fund.

Germany-based Knauf's managing partner Alexander Knauf said “The commitment demonstrates our trust and confidence in the country and our employees. We look forward to becoming part of the local community. Together, we are setting new standards for building and living in Romania.”

Operations at the original Târnăveni glass wool insulation plant recently recommenced following a Euro4m upgrade by Knauf Insulation, which completed its acquisition of the plant in May 2022. Previous owner Gecsat produced insulation at the site from 2008.