Insulation industry news from Global Insulation

China: Asia can improve its energy-efficiency and cut carbon emissions by adopting proven energy-saving technologies, but this has to be supplemented with regulations and market-driven energy pricing to be effective, according to the vice-chairman of the German chemical giant BASF. Beijing's practice of setting energy prices below those in the free market mean some opportunities had been lost due to poor economic fundamentals, said Dr Martin Brudermueller.

"If you look at the low energy cost in China, and you take the top one million households in Chongqing and you say you will reduce the air-conditioning cost by 50%, you end up with only US$280 of savings per year per household. You could hardly invest this in building insulation because it simply doesn't pay off," he said.

BASF is working on several projects to provide insulation materials for Chinese buildings that help cut heating and air-conditioning demand. Brudermueller says up to 60% of energy consumption can be cut with retrofitting. In addition to insulation, energy can be saved by treating floors to make them reflect heat and pigments can be added to building materials to reflect infrared lights - even if the materials are black. He added that China's energy consumption per square metre of floor space is two to three times higher on average than that seen in the EU.

Vietnam: Hoa Binh People's Committee and Slovakia-based BGT Slovensko Group have signed a memorandum of understanding on investment into Lac Thinh Industrial Zone with a total capital of US$548m. The Slovakian company pledged to carry out five projects in the Hoa Binh Industrial Park including the construction of an insulation materials plant.

US: The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) had imposed a penalty of US$1.2m on Cicero-based AMD Industries, because it failed to protect its workers effectively from loose asbestos fibres during a 2010 abatement process.

The Assistant Secretary of Labour for Occupational Safety and Health Dr David Michaels notified that the asbestos exposure to humans can be deadly and blamed AMD for negligence. The company was aware of its lethal effects but had failed to offer the most basic safety precautions. Further, he accused the company of not providing efficient respirators or even any warnings to the workers about the health disorders that could be encountered. The material removed at the site was particularly hazardous because the material removed was up to 50% asbestos.