France: Saint-Gobain recorded sales of €46.5bn in 2025 a stable figure year-on-year despite a negative currency effect of 2.3%. Group earnings before interest, taxation, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) were €7.2bn, up by 3% in local currencies.

Since 2018, Saint-Gobain has divested assets with annual sales of €10bn and acquired new ones generating €7bn/yr. Earnings contributions now break down as follows: 36% Asia; 33% Western Europe; 31% North America. It targeted the construction chemicals sector, with 39 new acquisitions throughout the five-year period, including Cemix, Chryso, FOSROC and GCP. Its low-carbon product range spans 400 different products. In 2025, Saint-Gobain reduced its Scope 1 and 2 CO₂ emissions by 35% against a 2017 baseline. It consumed 70% decarbonised electricity, up from 39% in 2021.

UK: Knauf Insulation is considering mothballing the oldest and smallest glass wool insulation line at its St Helens plant on Merseyside, amid ‘lower-than-expected’ residential construction activity. Local press has reported that the producer is in consultations with staff and unions, with 30 roles at risk, before taking any final decision.

Industrial Performance Director Darren Holt said "There is now excess manufacturing capacity for cured glass mineral wool insulation."

Knauf Insulation added 25,000t/yr of new roll, slab and blowing wool capacity at the St Helens plant, following a €45.9m in 2024.

Romania: TeraSteel, a subsidiary of Ireland-based Kingspan, has inaugurated its new €20m, 1.8Mm²/yr Lehliu-Gară insulation plant in Călărași County. The plant will produce stone wool, polyisocyanurate (PIR)-core panels. It will serve Southern Romania, Bulgaria, Moldova, Türkiye, Ukraine and Central European markets. It will also supply Saudi Arabia and the UAE via the Black Sea port of Constanța, 150km from the plant. Romania-Insider News has reported that TeraSteel received €8m in government funding for the Lehliu-Gară insulation plant’s construction.

TeraSteel already produces sandwich panels in Jud, Bistrița-Năsăud County, and in Leskovac, Serbia.

Russia: TechnoNICOL is investing €81.1m in the construction of a stone wool insulation plant and an extruded polystyrene (XPS) plant at the Krasny Sulin Industrial Park in Sulin, Rostov Oblast. Interfax News has reported that construction of both plants will conclude by July 2026. The project also includes a 20MW power plant to follow by the end of 2026. 198 people will be employed across the site.