Insulation industry news from Global Insulation

India: France-based Saint-Gobain has agreed to buy Rockwool India from Alghanim Group for an undisclosed amount. The acquisition will see Saint-Gobain enter the insulation sector directly in the country adding to its existing presence in the gypsum, glass and construction chemical sectors. The deal is subject to the completion of conditions set out in the agreement and approvals from the relevant authorities. It is expected to be completed in first quarter of 2022.

Rockwool India is a manufacturer of stone wool in India with a wide range of insulation products for thermal, acoustic and fire safety applications. It is also a licensee of Saint-Gobain technology for the manufacture of stone wool in the country. The company operates two production plants, one in Hyderabad and another in Silvassa, with a total capacity of around 50,000t/yr. Saint-Gobain also said that it has a ‘strong’ marketing network across the country.

Belgium: Etex has donated five sustainable modular housing units to families dispossessed by flooding in the summer of 2021. The company built the houses at Rochefort and Pepinster in two weeks and their assembly took 48 hours. Etex said that it plans to develop the construction method in future in order to meet needs and new trends in the housing sector.

Bernard Delvaux, chief executive officer of Etex said “It was important for us to donate our expertise through these five houses built in a circular way with a very low carbon footprint. Our modular construction technologies meet multiple housing needs around the world with the fast construction of affordable, well-insulated, high-quality and attractive living spaces.”

UK: The Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 motorsport team has terminated its sponsorship contract with Ireland-based Kingspan in response to public pressure. The team’s cars first displayed Kingspan sponsorship at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix on 3 - 5 December 2021. Grenfell Tower Fire survivors and bereaved families group Grenfell United protested against the display.

Kingspan withdrew fire test reports on its Kooltherm K15 phenolic insulation in November 2020 after admitting at the Grenfell inquiry that they may not reflect the actual product. Refurbishers used Kooltherm K15 in Grenfell’s exterior insulation system prior to the deadly fire at the tower in June 2017.

Mercedes-AMG Petronas said "Both parties have subsequently concluded that it is not appropriate for the partnership to move forward at the current point in time. We have therefore agreed that it will be discontinued with immediate effect."

Denmark: Rockwool’s nine-month sales rose by 18% year-on-year in 2021 to Euro2.25bn. Its earnings before interest, depreciation, taxation and amortisation (EBITDA) were Euro456m over the same period. The company said that strong demand for non-combustible insulation and our other stone wool products resulted in double-digit growth in all of its business areas in the third quarter of 2021.

Chief executive officer Jens Birgersson “With construction activity booming in many markets, we achieved double-digit sales growth in all business areas and good profitability despite soaring energy and input costs, a tight labour market and material shortages. We are working hard to meet customer demand and overall managing supply chain and logistics challenges well.” He added “Nevertheless, the high cost increases we are seeing on energy, production material and logistics are negatively affecting margins, necessitating additional and more rapid price increases, which are likely to continue in the coming months.”

Germany: CertainTeed plans to build a 312kW solar power plant at its Berlin insulation centre. Construction is set to begin in 2022. Along with a similar project in its US plastic operations in Wayne, New Jersey, US, the plant’s construction aligns with the aims of parent company Saint-Gobain’s newly announced Grow and Impact sustainable expansion strategy.

CertainTeed CEO Mark Rayfield said “The new solar projects at our sites in Berlin and Wayne will reduce our company’s energy costs at these locations and support the broader transition to renewable, zero-carbon sources of power.”