Insulation industry news from Global Insulation

UK: Superglass has appointed Jan Holmstrom to its board. Holmstrom, aged 63 and a Swedish national, will represent Superglass's majority shareholder Peter Gyllenhammar as non-executive director, according to the Herald. Gyllenhammar owns 38.3% of the shares in Superglass.

Russia: Mineral wool consumption fell by 12.8% year-on-year to 34Mm³ in 2015. Previously, consumption of heat insulation materials grew by 7% per year on average between 2010 and 2014, according to CM PRO. Continued decline in insulation consumption volumes are expected in 2016.

Canada: An Owens Corning fiberglass insulation plant in Edmonton has been ordered to monitor its emissions following a fire in early January 2016. The fire on 4 January 2016 damaged the plant's secondary air scrubber on its insulation batting production line.

Without the second scrubber the plant is contravening its Environmental Protection and Enhancement Act approval. A remedial solution to replace the curing oven's secondary air scrubber could take more than six months to implement.

As part of an enforcement order Owens Corning must monitor and notify Alberta Environment and Parks of any significant deviation from normal performance of the primary air emission scrubber on the curing oven. If the plant exceeds any air emission limits then production must immediately stop. Additional monitoring on the curing oven stack, including manual stack surveys, and an approved ambient air-monitoring plan are also required.

US: The Polyisocyanurate Insulation Manufacturers Association (PIMA) announced that SOPREMA has joined the group as a manufacturing member.

"The addition of SOPREMA to both the polyiso industry and the PIMA family reflects the continuing growth of polyiso as North America's insulation product of choice," said Jared Blum, President PIMA. "SOPREMA's construction industry leadership role is well acknowledged and the PIMA Board of Directors looks forward to the active involvement of the company."

SOPREMA joins PIMA's six manufacturing members: Atlas Roofing, Firestone Building Products, GAF, Hunter Panels, Johns Manville and Rmax.

SOPREMA is an international manufacturer that specialises in the development and production of innovative products for waterproofing, insulation, soundproofing and vegetated solutions for the roofing, building envelope and civil engineering sectors.

"SOPREMA is proud to join PIMA and contribute to the energy performance of buildings and the reduction of greenhouse gases as a manufacturer of high-performance insulation boards," said Richard Voyer, Executive Vice-President and CEO of SOPREMA North America.

UK: Around 24t of insulation material was damaged in an overnight after a fire at Knauf Insulation factory in Croesyceiliog, Wales. Three crews of firefighters were called to the fire at 01:22. A spokeswoman for the fire service said the blaze was accidentally caused. The firefighters had put the fire out by 03:31.