Insulation industry news from Global Insulation

US: The Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) in California has asserted that polystyrene is not the same as styrene and is not listed by the state as a substance that causes cancer. The OEHHA has added styrene to a list of a list of chemicals known to the state to cause cancer for purposes of the Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986 (Proposition 65).

"There is sufficient scientific information to demonstrate that the intended uses of these materials are safe,” said the OEHHA. "While free or unreacted styrene may be present in such products, only styrene exposures that pose a significant cancer risk would require a warning." Styrene is used to make expanded polystyrene (EPS) but the substances have different properties. The OEHHA's listing is based on the findings of the 12th edition of the National Toxicology Program's Report on Carcinogens that assesses the potential for risks associated with styrene, primarily in work environments where levels of styrene exposure may be higher.

UAE: Hira Industries has launched a polyethylene insulation plant in Al Ghail, Ras Al Khaimah. The factory will produce and export Aerofoam technical foam around the world. It has an area of 11,600m² and employs 150 staff.

"With the wealth of construction projects in the region, the demand for aerofoam products is tremendous and we are seeing rapid growth year on year. Events such as Dubai's Expo 2020 and the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar have further driven the industry. Our move to set up the new facility is strategically planned," said Manish Hira, managing director of Hira Industries.

Hira Industries operates eight plants in the heating, ventilating and air conditioning sector. It was established in 1980.

UK: Superglass has appointed Stuart Rowell as its business development director. He will take responsibility for all domestic sales and exports, marketing and commercial strategy, according to the Herald newspaper. Rowell joins Superglass from the Positive Momentum consultancy.

US: Installed Building Products, an installer of insulation and complementary building products, has purchased Alpine Insulation based in Sheboygan, Wisconsin with five operating locations throughout the state. Alpine provides installation services to the residential and commercial sectors.

"Alpine represents a compelling opportunity for us to enhance our presence in Wisconsin through a complementary business with strong local brands, exceptional customer loyalty and a strong management team. This acquisition brings our total acquired revenue in 2016 to approximately US$44m, as we remain focused on selectively acquiring market-leading installers in highly attractive markets," said Jeff Edwards, chairman and chief executive officer of Installed Building Products.

Ukraine: The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is to invest in a Euro75m programme to boost energy efficiency by launching the Ukraine Residential Energy Efficiency Financing Facility (IQ energy). IQ energy will be implemented through partner-banks UkrSibbank, OTP Bank and OTP Bank. It will also be supported by an extensive energy efficiency awareness campaign.

Eligible borrowers under the programme will be able to receive loans for a wide range of energy efficiency measures. These may include: insulation of walls, roofs and ground floors; installation of modern energy-efficient windows, gas and biomass boilers; heat supply system upgrades; installation of solar thermal systems and many others.

IQ energy is supported by grant funding of up to Euro15m from the Eastern Europe Energy Efficiency and Environment Partnership (E5P), to which the European Union is the largest contributor. The funds will be used, depending on the type of investment, to reimburse up to 20% of loan amounts for individual borrowers and up to 35% of loan amounts for housing associations. IQ energy also benefits from technical assistance funding for programme implementation, provided by E5P and the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida).

“Despite the substantial decrease in energy intensity over the last decade, the Ukrainian economy remains one of the least energy efficient among all the EBRD’s countries of operations and highly dependent on fuel imports. Being responsible for over 33% of Ukraine’s total energy consumption, the residential housing sector is the largest energy consumer in the country. In this respect, IQ energy will provide much-needed and timely funding but will also help change the energy consumption patterns of domestic households,” said Sevki Acuner, Director of EBRD Operations-Ukraine.

The EBRD is the largest international financial investor in Ukraine. As of mid-March 2016, the Bank had a total cumulative commitment of over Euro11bn through 363 projects in the country. The country holds one of the largest housing stocks in Europe with over 10 million buildings.