Insulation industry news from Global Insulation

India: The Indian Ministry of Commerce and Industry has launched an investigation into imports of ‘faced glass wool in rolls’ from China. GuruClub Live News has reported that the investigation arose from an application submitted by local producer Twiga Fiberglass.

Germany: 7116 hectares of construction hemp are under cultivation in Germany in the growing season for 2025. This represents a 22% year-on-year rise in the total area since the 2024 harvest. Brandenburg has the greatest acreage of any state, with 1500 hectares (21%).

Brandenburg-based Felde Fibres is investing ‘tens of millions’ of Euros in current capital expenditure in its production of hemp for the building materials and textile sectors.

Local press has reported that hemp demand continues on a long-term growth trajectory, despite nearly doubling in prices since the beginning of the on-going energy crisis in 2022.

Austria: Knauf Insulation will build a €30m, 10,000t/yr mineral wool recycling plant at Ferndorf in Villach, Carinthia. When commissioned in late 2026, the plant will recycle both glass and stone wool insulation. Kleine Zeitung Online News has reported that the process will consist of melting and granulation of the materials for use in subsequent insulation production.

The Austrian government will introduce a landfill ban for mineral wool from January 2027, but the country currently has no recycling plants for the material.

Finland: Saint-Gobain Isover has commenced production at its upgraded Forssa glass wool insulation plant in Kanta-Häme. Financial Wire News has reported that production is powered by a 50:50 energy mix of biogas and hydroelectricity. The producer says that this will reduce the Forssa plant's CO₂ emissions by 1500t/yr.

Saint-Gobain Isover is Finland’s largest consumer of recycled glass, of which the Forssa plant uses 80% in its raw materials mix.

UK: Indinature has secured approval for the use of its IndiBreathe hemp insulation in two UK Office of Gas and Electricity Markets (Ofgem) home insulation schemes. IndiBreathe will be the first natural fibre insulation used in such a scheme in the UK when it debuts in the Great British Insulation Scheme (GBIS) and Energy Company Obligation 4 (ECO4) initiatives. Construction Index News has reported that utilities provider Scottish Power sponsored Indinature’s application for the approval.

Sales Director Brian Monaghan said "Contractors can now specify a natural, sustainable and healthy high-performance insulation product when installing loft insulation under the government schemes."