Insulation industry news from Global Insulation

US: Carlisle Construction Materials has awarded a contract to Germany-based polymers producer Covestro to supply its 99%-reduced CO₂ bio-circular methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI). Carlisle Construction Materials plans to use the materials in its polyisocyanurate (PIR) insulation boards. Covestro says that it will supply its Mondur CQ 489 product, which will be suitable for use across Carlisle Construction Materials’ Hunter Panels, SynTec, Versico and WeatherBond product ranges. The supplier says that switching to this MDI will save 2.4t of CO₂ emissions per tonne used.

Carlisle Construction Materials president Steve Schwar said "Carlisle Construction Materials has always been at the forefront of developing high-performance construction products that lead the way in sustainability. With our new bio-based rigid foam insulation, we are demonstrating our unwavering commitment to environmental responsibility, while ensuring that our customers have access to the most advanced building materials available. Our partners play a pivotal role in the realisation of our bio-based isolation."

Covestro’s head of performance materials Hermann-Josef Doerholt said "Covestro’s vision to become fully circular requires research and development advancements that directly support the Scope 3 goals of our customers like Carlisle. Covestro has some of the most aggressive sustainability and climate targets in the chemical industry, and the further we progress in developing solutions to achieve them, the more the effects resonate along the supply chain.”

World: Market research firm Future Market Insights (FMI) has forecast a composite annual growth rate of 6% in the global polyisocyanurate (PIR) insulation market up to 2033. This will result in 81% decade-on-decade growth to US$25.6bn in 2033. FMI noted technical developments affecting the use of customised PIR boards in the prefabricated construction as a main driver of the growth. Nationally, the market will have a CAGR of 8% in China, 7% in India, 6% in the UK, 5% in Canada and 4% in Germany.

FMI said “In the rapidly changing world of PIR insulation, innovation and sustainability have emerged as dynamic forces reshaping the industry’s trajectory. The market is going through a fundamental shift, moving beyond its traditional role of providing insulation and into uncharted territory where cutting-edge technologies are poised to redefine its boundaries.”

Russia: TechnoNICOL has announced plans for a third stone wool insulation plant in the eastern Krai of Khabarovsk. The plant will have a production capacity of 400,000m³/yr of stone wool, and will produce thermal and acoustic insulation and technical insulation, including stone wool substrates for use in hydroponic plant cultivation. Together with an on-going upgrade to an existing stone wool insulation plant at the site, the project will cost US$37.6m, AK&M News has reported. Pre-design construction, land leasing and procurement of ‘key equipment’ for the new plant are currently underway, with commissioning scheduled for late 2026. TechnoNICOL then expects to complete the upgrade to the existing plant in 2027.

Austria: Law firm Schoenherr says that it advised Austrotherm on merger control filings for the latter’s acquisition of the expanded polystyrene (EPS) insulation business of building materials producer Brucha. Prior to completion of the deal, Austrotherm employed 1400 people and produces insulation at 26 plants in 12 countries in Central and Southeast Europe and Türkiye.

Japan: Almedio recorded sales of US$13.6m in the first quarter of the 2025 financial year, which began on 1 April 2024. This corresponds to year-on-year growth of 56% from first-quarter levels in the 2024 financial year. The period under review brought increased domestic sales volumes of insulation materials. Almedio’s profit before tax more than tripled, to US$4m, Nikkei Asia News has reported. Nonetheless, the producer now expects to record a decline in sales of 38% and in pre-tax profit of 66% year-on-year in the full 2025 financial year.