Philippines: Phinma subsidiary Union Insulated Panel has commissioned a new US$10.9m insulated panels plant in Porac, Pampanga. The plant will be subject to a study for a potential solar power and battery system in future. The Philippine Star newspaper has reported that the plant is intended to help reduce the Philippines’ import reliance for insulation.
The Philippines imported 40 – 50% of its insulation in 2025.
UK: Ireland-based Kingspan has denied liability for the use of its K15 rigid thermoset phenolic insulation boards at three high-rise blocks in the Pendleton Regeneration Scheme residential development in Salford, Greater Manchester. The insulation board were non-compliant for use in buildings over 18m high, allegedly contributing to a US$91.9m settlement paid by contractor Equans for resulting refurbishment work. The Sunday Times newspaper has reported that Equans is seeking a building liability order against Kingspan, fellow building products supplier Unilin and metal components supplier Arconic on the basis of alleged fraudulent or misleading representations about products used in the development, including K15 insulation.
Kingspan explained that it made no such representations, nor was it negligent. It has identified the presence of Arconic’s Reynobond polyethylene-aluminium composite panels as the alleged cause of the blocks’ non-compliance and further pointed out ‘missing and/or defective cavity barriers, structural defects and widespread workmanship defects’ as the fault of Equans.
Germany: Rockwool has participated in a trial to recycle its stone wool wire mesh blanket insulation at chemicals company BASF's Ludwigshafen plant in Rhineland-Palatinate. Rockwool and a ‘specialist’ partner developed a plant to separate the stone wool content from laminations, wire mesh and other components. The resulting recovered stone powder can replace basalt as a raw material in onward stone wool production. Rockwool uses exclusively uncontaminated insulation produced after 2000 in the plant.
Slovenia/Ireland: The European Commission has fined Kingspan €40m for providing ‘incorrect and misleading information’ during a 2021 review of its now abandoned attempt to acquire Slovenia-based mineral wool sandwich panels and insulation systems producer Trimo. In a press release, the Commission said that the fine comprises €10m for each of four infringements of the EU Merger Regulation. The infringements concerned the availability of bidding data, directors' involvement in the planned acquisition, how the producer tracks penetration rates for mineral fibre sandwich panels and its research and development.
Kingspan said that it will appeal the decision.
