Russia: TechnoNicol has completed the construction of a mineral wool plant in the Rostov region. The plant is currently undergoing commissioning and testing with operation planned for mid-July 2016. The company has invested Euro44m into the site. Once operational the plant will be able to produce six groups of products, including more than 90 types of basalt-based thermal insulation products.

The roofing and insulation producer has also announced that it intends to build a Euro44m mineral wool plant in Kazakhstan. Irek Allayarov, director of the company’s mineral isolation department, said that the company is in the process of selecting potential sites for the unit. A final decision will be made by the end of 2016.

Russia: Rockwool has updated the package design of its Light Batts Skandic heat insulation material for private house building in Russia. The packaging now contains additional information signs, a barcode, information about the tiles’ geometry and the package volume. These were previously featured on a paper label. The new design is intended to aid customers understand how to use the product properly and calculate the necessary amount of the heat insulation.

Light Batts Skandic products with 50mm thick tiles are being produced in the renewed design at the Rockwool plant in Yelabuga. The plant in Vyborg will switch to the paper labelling by the end of August 2016.

Thailand: Eastern Polymer Group has set aside US$8m to research and development of its insulation business. The funding will go towards new products and to enhance its production line with automatic and high-speed machinery for thermal insulation products under the Aeroflex brand, both domestic and international. Overall the company has set a revenue target of up to US$312m for its 2016 - 2017 financial year with a budget of US$57m for capital expenditure and mergers and acquisitions across its main businesses, according to the Nation.

Poland: Stepan Company has completed the relocation of its European R&D and Technical Service centre to new laboratories in Wroclaw. The expanded facilities will serve Stepan's business in insulation foams as well as the diverse Coatings Adhesives Sealants and Elastomers (CASE) business. In addition to providing increased space for its growing team of scientists, the expanded facilities include a wide range of test and production equipment to support Stepan's customers with innovation and technical development projects.

The specialist and intermediary chemical production company also confirmed that the expansion of its polyester polyol facility in Brzeg Dolny will be completed in mid-2016, with the addition of a new reactor. The new asset is required to support Stepan's growth in the CASE business for its European customers.

"The completion of this expansion to our facilities in Poland marks a significant milestone in our growth story within the European polyester polyol industry. Commitment to these plans by Stepan is an endorsement of our growth strategy,” said Roger Stubbs, Vice President, Polymers Europe.