Insulation industry news from Global Insulation

Russia: The mineral wool market consumed ‘record’ volumes of imports in the first quarter of 2025, market research by ROIF Expert has revealed. Uzbek mineral wool has replaced that from Poland and Lithuania as dominant among imports. The Russia-based agency has reported that domestically-produced mineral wool rose in price amid on-going ‘adjustments’ in production volumes.

Russia: TechnoNICOL plans to build a machine-building workshop in Ryazan to supply equipment for mineral wool production, according to Russian government sources.

The company said that is currently replacing some ‘European-made’ equipment with prototypes produced in China and Türkiye. It invested US$392m in its ‘fixed assets’ in 2024.

Ukraine: Kingspan has broken ground on the €280m construction of its upcoming Lviv building materials complex in the western oblast of the same name. The complex will produce insulation, among other products, and also supply district heating. The Irish Times newspaper has reported that Kingspan first committed to a future expansion of its operations in Ukraine in 2022, after Russia invaded the country and occupied parts of its eastern oblasts of Crimea, Donetsk, Kharkiv, Kherson, Luhansk and Zaporizhzhia.

Project Director Mike Stenson said “Despite the perceived distance from the frontline, Lviv has experienced its share of conflict, highlighting the risks associated with such an investment. Nevertheless, Kingspan's move is seen as a bold step towards aiding Ukraine's economic recovery and demonstrating the country's viability for business amidst challenging conditions.”

Ukraine: City authorities in Dnipro, Eastern Ukraine, have installed insulation in six blocks of flats under the national Energodim renovations programme. Business World Magazine News has reported that work is also underway at seven further blocks of flats. The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development supplied loans for the renovations.

Dnipro lies 130km inside Ukraine’s front line against the on-going Russian invasion of the country.

Ukraine: Construction firm Rauta recorded 15% year-on-year growth in the Ukrainian insulation sector’s domestic sales of insulated sandwich panels in the first half of 2024. Meanwhile, imports of the product dropped by 12% over the same comparison period. Consumption totalled 1Mm², in line with 2023 volumes. Business World News has reported that Rauta noted a shift from other panel types towards polyisocyanurate (PIR) core panels.

Construction activity remains mostly concentrated in Western Ukraine due to the on-going Russian invasion in other areas of the country, with investors reportedly remaining cautious. Ukraine’s construction market has declined by 60 – 70% from antebellum levels in 2021.

Lithuania: Russia-based TechnoNicol has divested its Baltic roofing and waterproofing membranes business, Mida, to France-based Soprema. The business includes plants in Lithuania. TechnoNicol acquired Mida in 2001. BNS News has reported that its sales dropped by 17% to €38m in 2023, following the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Mida said "Mida has completely cut off all ties with its former owner, Technonicol. Mida is beginning a new stage in the growth of its business in Europe."

Russia: Knauf is seeking to transfer its ‘entire business in Russia’ to its local management, pending the approval of Russian authorities. The Kyiv Independent newspaper has reported that Knauf elected for the transfer in order to protect the jobs of 4000 employees in the country.

Germany/Ukraine: The Würzburg Prosecutor's Office has opened a preliminary investigation into Knauf over its alleged involvement in the on-going reconstruction of Russian-occupied Mariupol. The investigation will seek to establish whether an ‘initial suspicion’ of criminal activity exists. Germany-based media outlet ARD published its allegation of Knauf’s involvement in the reconstruction via the use of its materials earlier in April 2024.

The producer denied the allegations, adding that it complies with relevant laws and sanctions.

Ukraine: The National Agency on Corruption Prevention (NACP) has added Denmark-based Rockwool to its list of “international sponsors of war” due to the company’s continued business in Russia. The government agency alleges that Rockwool has continued to supply its construction material products to various state institutions in Russia, including the Ministry of Defence, following the start of the Russia-Ukraine war in early 2022. The NACP highlighted that Rockwool operates four subsidiaries in Russia and it suggested that deliveries under state contracts were made via intermediaries in 2023.

In February 2023, The Danish Business Authority announced an investigation into Rockwool's alleged supply of its products to the Russian military, in breach of existing sanctions, between 2015 and 2020. In April 2023 Rockwool chair Thomas Kähler told the company’s annual general meeting that continuing to do business in Russia was the group’s ‘least bad option.’

Kazakhstan/Russia: The government of Kazakhstan says that it now expects Germany-based Knauf Group to relocate its Russian business to Kazakhstan. It says that this is due to the on-going Russian invasion of Ukraine, which initially led Knauf to freeze investments in the sanctioned state and suspend its trade between it and the EU from March 2022.

Deutsche Welle News has reported that Knauf Group ‘did not confirm’ the Kazakh government’s contention. In defending its decision to so far remain in Russia, Knauf Group’s chair Alexander Knauf said “It’s not about money for us, it’s about 4000 employees. Loyalty to these people means to me that I won’t send them off into an uncertain future.” Russia reportedly contributed 10% of the group's turnover in 2022.