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First sustainability report published by Paroc Group
Written by Global Insulation staff
21 December 2012
Finland: Paroc Group, a major supplier of insulation to the baltic market, has published its first sustainability report, which covers 2009 to 2011. The indicators presented in the report are tools for measuring and following Paroc's sustainable progress in all its production facilities in Finland, Sweden, Poland and Lithuania.
"Sustainability is a factor which strongly influences the development and renewal of our business because our products play a significant role in improving the energy efficiency of buildings," said Paroc Group's CEO, Kari Lehtinen. "We operate in an energy-intensive industry so the ecological efficiency and waste recyclability provide additional savings while minimising the burden on the environment and thus contributing to our common wellbeing."
Paroc considers its most important goals for the coming years to involve increasing the energy efficiency of its production facilities and reaching the occupational safety target of zero accidents by 2020.
At all of Paroc's production plants, processes operate according to the current regulations and standards. Beatrice Rantanen, Paroc Group's Sustainability Manager, emphasised that its production facilities in Finland and Sweden depend almost solely on green energy and that 75% of Paroc's waste is recycled.
"High-quality heat insulation is the most effective and inexpensive way to affect the energy efficiency of new buildings. The benefits will be emphasised even more when Europe shifts to zero-energy building by the year 2020," added Lehtinen.
Global Insulation recognised Paroc's attention to environmental effects in 2012, awarding the company the Global Insulation Company of the Year award at the Global Insulation Conference & Exhibition in Riga, Latvia in September 2012.
China relaxes restrictions on use of building insulation materials
Written by Global Insulation staff
17 December 2012
China: China's Ministry of Public Security has announced that it will cease restrictions on certain insulation materials that were previously recognised as flammable materials, according to the website of the ministry's Fire Department. Polyurethane will become the biggest beneficiary of the relaxation to the existing rules. According to analysts, China's annual building insulation materials market capacity may reach US$16bn by the end of 2015.
Rockwool to build Euro110m plant in China
Written by Global Insulation staff
17 December 2012
China: Danish insulation maker Rockwool International has announced that its board of directors have approved a plan to construct a plant in China costing around Euro110m. The new plant will be constructed in Tianjin, approximately 150km from Beijing in northern China. The plant is expected to be ready by the end of 2014 and will have a capacity of more than 120,000t/yr of mineral wool insulation.
"We have seen a good sales development since we acquired the Australian company CSR's insulation activities in southern China in 2010," said Rockwool division managing director for East Division Theo Kooij. "So far the majority of our sales have gone to industrial insulation. With the new plant in the northern part of China we can now target the promising market for building insulation, which has the potential to become the biggest in the world over time. High-rise buildings, where fire safety is a serious concern, stand out as a promising segment for our non-combustible insulation. The national and regional authorities in China are now expressing a high interest in improving the fire safety of insulated buildings."
In 2011, sales in Asia accounted for 5% of the total group sales for Rockwool and this share is expected to grow in the coming years. China is the group's biggest single Asian market.
PGF Insulation completes US$12m upgrade
Written by Global Insulation staff
22 November 2012
Malaysia: PGF Insulation, a Penang based glass wool manufacturer, has completed its two phase plant upgrade. Starting in 2010, the plant has undergone a plant upgrade that involved changing its curing oven, fiberising technology, melting furnace and adding a new production line. The upgraded plant has a capacity of 20,000t/yr.
PGF says that the increased capacity is needed to cater for the expected growth in Asia Pacific, the Indian subcontinent and the Middle East due to increased awareness of energy efficiency and of the benefits of mineral wool insulation.
Other than the traditional building application, the plant is also able to mass produce superior quality glass wool for Vacuum Insulation Panels.
GlassRock completes commissioning of 20,000t/yr glass wool line
Written by Global Insulation staff
21 November 2012
Egypt: GlassRock Insulation Company, part of regional mining platform Ascom, has reported the successful completion of the commissioning phase of its new production line for glass wool. The new production line will produce 20,000t/yr of glass wool increasing the plant's total production to 50,000t/yr, of which 30,000t/yr is mineral wool.
"We are exceptionally proud to be manufacturing these strategic insulation materials, which can be used as both residential thermal insulation and as acoustic insulation. Our products can help to significantly reduce the impact of the energy crisis that Egypt is currently facing," said chief executive officer Bechir Dardour. According to Dardour the glass wool insulation that will be produced in GlassRock's Sadat City Free Zone plant is being manufactured principally with local materials.
In September 2012 GlassRock announced the launch of its first mineral wool production line. The company is now targeting exports to key markets in Europe, North Africa, the Gulf Cooperation Countries and Turkey.