Insulation industry news from Global Insulation

Belgium: PU Europe has issued a statement to the relevant European bodies responsible for fluorinated gases (F-gases) emphasising the role of low global warming potential (GWP) of F-gases in insulation foam applications.

The association has suggested that, instead of total ban of F-gases, a lowering of the threshold should be considered as an alternative. In its view a lower threshold would allow the users of thermal insulation to continue to benefit from products made from closed-cell polyurethane foam. It warned that a ban on the use of low GWP F-gases in insulation foam would have “significant implications for the Renovation Wave, as approximately 80% of the buildings that will exist in 2050 have already been constructed.” PU Europe emphasises the need to find solutions that strike the right balance between addressing operating greenhouse gas emissions from the existing building stock and controlling low GWP F-gases.

The European Commission proposed in early 2022, as part of its so-called 'fit for 55' package, to further reduce emissions of F-gases. It wants to change the existing quota system, gradually reducing the supply of hydrofluorocarbons to the European Union market to 2.4 % of 2015 levels by 2048.

PU Europe was founded in 1981 as BING to become the single European voice for the polyurethane insulation industry. The association represents insulation producers, raw material suppliers and component manufacturers from eleven countries with activities covering the entire continent.

Croatia: Knauf Insulation plans to invest Euro120m in an expansion to its Novi Marof mineral wool insulation plant. Poslovni Dnevnik News has reported that the expansion will double the plant's capacity and create 70 new jobs. This is in line with Knauf Insulation's sustainability strategy. Work will commence in late 2023 and reach completion before the end of 2025.

UK: Testing provider the Building Research Establishment (BRE) has informed Kingspan and Saint-Gobain subsidiary Celotex of its decision to break off its relationship with them due to perceived 'reputational risk.' Insulation supplied by Kingspan (Kooltherm K15 phenolic insulation) and Celotex (RS5000 polyisocyanurate insulation) was present in Grenfell Tower, London, when it burned down in June 2017. 72 people died in the fire. Both producers deny having contributed to the disaster. The Grenfell Tower Inquiry investigated the relationship between each company and the BRE during its inquest into the fire. A final report is currently in preparation following the conclusion of Phase 2 hearings in 2022.

The Grenfell Tower Inquiry heard that Kingspan had marketed its Kooltherm K15 panels for general use in high rise construction, relying on tests carried out at a BRE facility with a system involving external fibre cement panels, of a sort not used in Grenfell Tower. Subsequent tests of the product, carried out by Kingspan, included one which resulted in a 'raging inferno.' Meanwhile, Celotex added fire-resistant board to a rig used in testing in 2014, reportedly to increase its products' chances of passing.

Inside Housing News has reported that BRE said “BRE no longer accepts any new work on behalf of Kingspan or Celotex following evidence heard during the course of this inquiry.”

Kingspan clarified that "There is no product performance basis for [BRE's] decision,” adding that its panels had shown zero non-conformities in their most recent audit in December 2022. It said “Independently of BRE, whose certification is regionally focused on the UK and Ireland, Kingspan is certified by the globally recognised insurer testing regime FM Approvals, which carries out annual factory surveillance audits to verify our products comply with its global approval standards."

UK: Belgium-based Etex has concluded a deal to acquire glass wool insulation producer Superglass. Superglass operates the Stirling glass wool insulation plant in Stirling, Scotland, and employs 200 people. Etex says that the acquisition will increase its number of employees in its insulation division, which operates 11 plants across Europe, to 1500, and its total UK-based employees to 1300. Etex already produces gypsum wallboard, fibre cement sidings and slates and fibre cement corrugated sheets in the UK.

CEO Bernard Delvaux said “Etex has a clear focus to be the most innovative and sustainable global lightweight building material manufacturer. Joining forces with Superglass today is a great step forward on our growth path in insulation, just one year after we acquired URSA. The need for energy efficient and sustainable buildings is crucial, and Superglass and URSA are a perfect answer for it.”

Germany: Grenzebach says that it has completed the construction of the Hütten wood fibre insulation plant in Bavaria's Neustadt an der Waldnaab District for Ziegler Group subsidiary Naturheld. The plant took a total of 12 months to build, and will run on 100% renewable energy. Naturheld will use waste wood from Ziegler Group's wood processing operations in the region. Grenzebach says that it developed a novel wood blending system for implementation at the plant. The supplier said that the plant has a wood fibre production capacity of 6t/hr, and is capable of expanding to 10t/hr. The plant gives Ziegler Group the capacity to produce 1.5Mm²/yr of its wood fibre insulation product.

Managing director Stefan Ziegler said "Building the wood fiber insulation board plant within such an extremely short period was possible only thanks to the close cooperation with a renowned automation partner of international standing like Grenzebach. As a solution provider, Grenzebach supplied both the necessary product and technical know-how and expertise and was able to make the required capacities available at all times."