Insulation industry news from Global Insulation

US: Saint-Gobain North America has started a program where windshield glass scraps are recycled and reused in the production of insulation. Waste glass from the company’s Saint-Gobain Sekurit’s unit at Garden Grove in California is sent to CertainTeed Insulation’s facility at Chowchilla, where it is use to make fibreglass insulation. Saint-Gobain is working with Shark Solutions on the project. The initiative started earlier in 2022.

US: Owens Corning has achieved inclusion on the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index 2022, topping the Building Materials category. The producer scored 88 out of 100 for sustainable performance across multiple indices. It recorded full marks for environmental reporting, materiality, recycling strategy, risk and crisis management and social reporting.

Owens Corning's senior vice president and chief sustainability officer David Rabuano said, "Earning placement on this index for the 13th consecutive year is a validation of the daily efforts of our colleagues across our operations globally. I am proud that their hard work and diligence in our sustainability efforts continues to be the driver of our leadership on the Dow Jones Sustainability Index - and an ongoing contributor to achieving our goals for 2030 and beyond."

Ireland: Kingspan’s sales rose by 33% year-on-year to Euro6.25bn in the first nine months of 2022. It said that insulated panel sales grew by 29% and insulation board sales grew by 48%. Panel sales were reported as holding up ‘reasonably well’ in the Americas, Germany and the UK but as being weaker elsewhere in Europe. Board sales increases were led by a rise in price.

US: Owens Corning recorded sales of US$7.48bn during the first nine months of 2022, up by 17% year-on-year from US$6.37bn in the first nine months of 2021. Its adjusted earnings before interest, taxation, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) rose by 24% to US$1.8bn from US$1.45bn. The group's insulation sales rose by 19% to US$2.76bn from US$2.32bn. The segment's higher selling prices reportedly offset accelerating energy, material and transport inflation.

During the year, the company transferred or sold all Russian assets, which had previously contributed US$100m in sales in 2021. Elsewhere, Owens Corning launched three new products during the third quarter of 2022 alone.

US: Hemp Inc.’s Hempcrete insulation panels have received approval for residential construction use in an appendix to the US Residential Building Code. Hempcrete insulation consists of hemp stalk hurd and lime. It is fire-resistant, moisture regulating and sequesters CO₂ naturally due to its hemp content.

Hemp Inc. operates a multi-purpose hemp processing plant in Spring Hope, North Carolina.

China/US: France-based Arkema has announced progress at two locations towards increasing the production capacity of its blowing agent product Forane 1233ZD. In China the group says its partner Aofan has started operation at a production plant. In the US at Calvert City, Kentucky the group has broken ground on the construction of an upgrade to a production line at its existing plant. The US$60m project is expected to be completed by early 2024. Both units are intended to increase the global availability of the Forane 1233ZD product.

The chemicals company is promoting the use of fluorinated liquid blowing agent due to its sustainability advantages. The product is used primarily in closed celled polyurethane foam for building insulation and cold chain applications. It also has applications for the thermal management of batteries in electric vehicles.

France: Ireland-based Kingspan has closed its acquisition of Ondura Group. The group consists of light roofing producer Onduline, membranes producer CB and waterproofing systems producer Alwitra. It operates plants in four European countries, as well as Brazil, Malaysia, Turkey and the US. Law firm Clifford Chance, a long-term partner of Kingspan, advised the insulation group through the deal.

On 27 September 2022, Kingspan acquired waterproofing membranes producer Derbigum in neighbouring Belgium. Derbigum has recycled 30,000t of bitumen in its operations to date.

US: Knauf Insulation has appointed Valentin Salazar as the manager of its forthcoming glass wool insulation plant at McGregor in Texas. Other hires include Alex Garcia as Health, Safety & Environmental Manager and JT Tristan as Human Resources Manager. Crossland Construction was previously announced as the general contractors for the project in July 2022. The company expects to open its new unit in early 2024.

US: Installed Building Products’ net revenue grew by 37% year-on-year to US$1.26bn in the first half of 2022 from US$925m in the same period in 2021. Its adjusted earnings before interest, taxation, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) rose by 54% to US$204m from US$133m. The insulation installation company said that its sales increased in the second quarter of 2022 due to “strong growth” across its residential new construction, repair and remodel and commercial markets.

US: Owens Corning has agreed to sell the site of its Santa Clara, California, insulation plant to property company Panattoni Development. Local Press has reported that the plant’s closure ‘on or around’ 31 October 2022 will result in the loss of 225 jobs.