Insulation industry news from Global Insulation

UK: Rockwool subsidiary Wetherby Wall Systems has launched SOQEL A2, an external wall insulation system for use below damp-proof course. The system integrates Rockwool’s Coverrock X-2 pre-coated insulation with Heck K+A SL coating and Heck CER mesh. Specification Online News has reported that the system complies with the A2-s1,d0 UK fire standard for buildings over 11m tall.

Technical director Joe Ragdale said “We have worked alongside our Rockwool sister company Heck in Germany to launch this innovative system into the UK market. This solution provides architects and contractors working on remediation projects with a compliant, durable, and efficient way to enhance building safety.”

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.”

Germany: BASF has completed a pilot, with Frankfurt-based housing society ABG and external thermal insulation composite systems producer Sto, testing an insulation board based on expandable polystyrene (EPS) containing recycled material. Around 10% of the polystyrene was replaced with a recycled substitute during the test. The results showed that the newly developed board met the same quality standards as standard market products. The sustainability targets of ABG was one of the key impetuses for the project.

BASF used its Neopor F 5 Mcycled product in the test. It is a graphite-containing expandable polystyrene granulate that contains 10% recycled material. The recycled material comes from mechanically recycled EPS waste. The aim is to other byproducts for the production of Neopor Mcycled in the future, such as EPS off-cuts from construction sites.

US: Johns Manville (JM) plans to build a new blowing wool production line at its Winder glass wool plant in Georgia. Construction is expected to start early in 2026 and the new line will be operational in mid-2027. When this project is complete, JM will employ more than 350 people in Winder.

“Climate Pro insulation continues to see strong growth and demand in the market,” said Bob Wamboldt, president and CEO of Johns Manville. The new production line is intended to give JM easier access to Central and East Coast markets in the country.

Germany: Saint-Gobain subsidiary Isover has announced the upcoming closure of the glass wool line at its Bergisch Gladbach plant in North Rhine-Westphalia. Energate Messenger News has reported that this is due to a local homebuilding ‘slump’ and reduced export volumes. As a result, Isover will cancel a planned green hydrogen plant project at the site.

Isover will now relocate ‘part of the production lost’ from Bergisch Gladbach to its Speyer plant in Rhineland-Palatinate.