Germany: BASF is set to expand production of its Neopor graphite-enriched expanded polystyrene (EPS) at its Ludwigshafen plant in Rhineland-Palatinate by 50,000t/yr. From its commissioning in 2027, the expanded line will help BASF to meet increased demand for the material. Neopor serves as raw granulate for use in the production of insulation materials for building envelopes. The company says that it offers a 30% greater heat retention than traditional EPS.

Director Stephan Kothrade said "Neopor is classified as a 'Pioneer' in the highest category of the Sustainable Solution Steering (Triple-S) sustainability assessment which BASF uses to evaluate all its products, and is part of BASF's Sustainable Future Solutions."

Germany: The Fraunhofer Institute for Environmental, Safety, and Energy Technology in Oberhausen is reportedly looking for partnerships through which to commercialise its new aerogel-based insulation. WAZ Plus News has reported that the insulation consists of porous beads made of 99% air.

Materials from the Fraunhofer Institute’s pilot plant have featured in construction projects including in the historic Hanseatic Quarter of Lübeck, Schleswig-Holstein, and the town hall of Hohen Neundorf in Brandenburg.

Russia: TechnoNICOL has installed a new glass furnace and polymerisation chamber at its Serpukhov glass wool plant in Moscow Oblast. AK&M News has reported that that the upgrade will expand the plant’s glass wool capacity to just under 2Mm³/yr and enable it to produce a total of 300 different types of insulation. TechnoNICOL is investing US$18m in the project, which uses equipment from Russian suppliers and is intended to reduce the sanctioned nation’s reliance on imports.

UK: Denmark-based Rockwool has acquired external thermal insulation composite systems producer Wetherby Building Systems. Reuters has reported that the newly acquired company will now operate as part of Rockwool Wall Systems, under the name Wetherby Wall Systems. The integration parallels that of previous Rockwool acquisitions in other markets, like Fast Wall Systems in Poland and Heck Wall Systems in Germany.

Rockwool CEO Jes Munk Hansen said “The share of stone wool insulation in the Wetherby business has been growing steadily, and we will be completing this transition to a fully stone wool-based portfolio, as we have done in other markets in the past.” He added that this will advance Rockwool’s transformation of the construction sector towards non-combustible façades.

Wetherby Building Systems managing director Bob Deane said “There is a long-standing relationship between Wetherby and Rockwool, and the match is strong on all significant drivers.”