Insulation industry news from Global Insulation

Germany: 7116 hectares of construction hemp are under cultivation in Germany in the growing season for 2025. This represents a 22% year-on-year rise in the total area since the 2024 harvest. Brandenburg has the greatest acreage of any state, with 1500 hectares (21%).

Brandenburg-based Felde Fibres is investing ‘tens of millions’ of Euros in current capital expenditure in its production of hemp for the building materials and textile sectors.

Local press has reported that hemp demand continues on a long-term growth trajectory, despite nearly doubling in prices since the beginning of the on-going energy crisis in 2022.

Russia: The mineral wool market consumed ‘record’ volumes of imports in the first quarter of 2025, market research by ROIF Expert has revealed. Uzbek mineral wool has replaced that from Poland and Lithuania as dominant among imports. The Russia-based agency has reported that domestically-produced mineral wool rose in price amid on-going ‘adjustments’ in production volumes.

Türkiye: The Turkish government has introduced new rules for thermal insulation of residential buildings. Fakti News has reported that the newly enacted standard TS 825 will require new homes to be designed to meet both ‘heating and cooling’ needs. This is intended to keep housing operating efficiently under increasingly extreme seasonal climactic conditions.

Property industry body IS & Partners reportedly said that the rules “Will lead to an increase in the cost of projects, and hence to an increase in the prices of purchasing or renting a home” by as much as 25%. It may additionally increase consumer interest in the ‘secondary’ market in existing homes, IS & Partners added.

Romania: Alpin Szig és Szerkezet Építőipari subsidiary Mineral Insulation plans to build a €20m, 30,000t/yr-capacity mineral wool plant in Miercurea-Ciuc, Harghita County. Romania-Insider News has reported that construction will commence in mid-2025, with the plant scheduled to enter production in late 2026. The upcoming plant will occupy a former mining site, chosen for its proximity to sources of all required raw materials within 100km, as well as for its centrality in Romania. It is expected to create 70 new jobs.

Director Orban Zoltan said that the plant should enable Harghita County to become mineral wool self-sufficient.

Ukraine: Kingspan has broken ground on the €280m construction of its upcoming Lviv building materials complex in the western oblast of the same name. The complex will produce insulation, among other products, and also supply district heating. The Irish Times newspaper has reported that Kingspan first committed to a future expansion of its operations in Ukraine in 2022, after Russia invaded the country and occupied parts of its eastern oblasts of Crimea, Donetsk, Kharkiv, Kherson, Luhansk and Zaporizhzhia.

Project Director Mike Stenson said “Despite the perceived distance from the frontline, Lviv has experienced its share of conflict, highlighting the risks associated with such an investment. Nevertheless, Kingspan's move is seen as a bold step towards aiding Ukraine's economic recovery and demonstrating the country's viability for business amidst challenging conditions.”

New Zealand: Parliament has passed the Building Act, allowing the import of ‘thousands’ of building products, including gypsum wallboard, insulation and cladding systems. The act allows for cited standards, according to which the Minister for Building Construction will be able to issue a notice to recognise overseas product standards and certification schemes for local use.

Austria: The insulation association Building Envelope and Insulation Industry (GDI) has reported a 1.9Mm³ decline in annual insulation sales since 2021. The hardest-hit segment was reportedly alternative insulation, with declines in cellulose, sheep wool and hemp. The OÖ Nachrichten newspaper has reported that the association attributed the decline to an on-going ‘property sector downturn,’ with homeowners stalling their refurbishment plans. The GDI praised the recent easing of lending guidelines and renewed submissions for reserved funding under the Sanierungsbonus insulation scheme.

GDI Chair Roland Hebbel said “A rebound in the construction industry is becoming increasingly urgent.”

UK: Rockwool has submitted a Section 73 application to Birmingham City Council in support of its plans to build a factory at a site in Peddimore, Minworth. The plant would be only its second in the UK. The application requests permission to vary some of the details in the current planning permissions at Peddimore to suit Rockwool's specific proposal. If approved, Rockwool will then submit a more detailed reserved matters application later in 2025 or early 2026. Once detailed plans are developed there will be another round of community consultation. Rockwool hopes that construction can begin in 2026, with production starting in 2029.

Rockwool's proposed new factory will feature proprietary electric melting technology and boost supply capacity for UK and Ireland customers while also supporting its global sustainability plans. The Peddimore site at Minworth has been designated specifically for manufacturing and logistics uses and is part of a long-running regeneration and development project.

Rockwool’s UK and Ireland managing director Nick Wilson said "Since we announced our intentions to expand the business into the West Midlands, we have had an opportunity to share our plans with the community and are very grateful to those who have provided feedback. We are taking all feedback into consideration as we develop the plans and have included the community's observations so far in our Section 73 application to the council. We look forward to meeting with community members again in the coming months."

Romania: Knauf Insulation România announced the start of operations at its new Târnăveni glasswool insulation plant in Mureș County on 22 January 2025. Transilvania Business News has reported that the plant will produce up to 75,000t/yr of insulation for local and export markets. Knauf Insulation România invested €140m in construction of the plant, which first commenced in March 2023. The producer acquired another, existing plant at the site in May 2022, investing €4m in its modernisation.

Knauf Europe, Middle East and Asia Regional CEO Dominique Bossan noted the growth of demand for insulation in South East Europe.

World: AZOBuild has reported findings that the global aerogel insulation market will grow at an estimated compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 21% up to 2030. This would more than quadruple its total value, to US$3.8bn.