Insulation industry news from Global Insulation

Spain: Saint-Gobain has launched a €40m expansion and upgrade to reduce CO₂ emissions by 70% at its Azuqueca insulation plant in Castilla-La Mancha. The producer will replace the plant’s existing furnace with a new electric one. When operational in early 2026, the upgraded line will expand the Azuqueca plant’s capacity by 40%. The furnace will run on renewable electricity sourced under a power purchase agreement signed with utilities provider Endesa in 2022.

Singapore: A team at Nanyang Technological University has developed new insulating tiles made of a wood-decaying fungus. Asia Research News has reported that the tiles have a hexagonal design and are textured to mimic elephant skin in order to maximise cooling. The wood component is bamboo microfibres, making the tiles entirely biodegradable. Singapore’s National Research Foundation and ETH Zurich funded the research.

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.

Russia: TechnoNICOL plans to invest US$11m in automating logistics across its mineral wool plants by 2026. Russian-owned AK&M News has reported that the investments will go towards the installation of automated loading equipment and plant digital twins. This is expected to more than double labour productivity to 180,000m³/yr per worker. Plants scheduled for automation upgrades in 2025 include the Serpukhov and Chudov glasswool insulation plants.

TechnoNICOL’s total investments in automation and digitisation totalled US$2.75m in 2024.

Russia: TechnoNICOL and the Corporation for the Development of the Far East and the Arctic (KRDV) have agreed to build a new US$29.3m, 400,000m³/yr stone wool insulation plant in Khabarovsk Krai. When commissioned in late 2026 or early 2027, the plant will be TechnoNICOL’s third in the krai and will employ 140 people. Russian-owned AK&M News has reported that surveys and design documentation for the plant are scheduled for submission in June 2025.