Insulation industry news from Global Insulation

Czech Republic: Rockwool is planning to use its Bohumin plant’s full production capacity to make mineral wool in 2017. In 2016 the unit produced a record 4Mm³ of the product and so far it has produced 80% of this in the first nine months of 2017, according to the CIA news agency. The increased production levels follow an upgrade at the site in 2015. Insulation products from Bohumin are sold locally, in Slovakia and elsewhere in Europe.

Romania: Austrotherm has opened an insulation plant at Arad. The Austrian company opened its third expanded polystyrene (EPS) plant in the country in early November 2017. The unit is intended to serve Transylvania and other western regions.

The company originally entered the Romanian market in 1999 with an EPS plant in Bucharest. A second plant at Horia was opened in 2006. Production of extruded polystyrene (XPS) insulation followed at this site in 2008.

US: Three types of commercial and residential insulation produced by Owens Corning have been certified as made with renewable energy. These products represent the first ever to have met the requirements of SCS Global Services’ certification protocol to validate electricity used to make them is generated entirely from wind.

This certification follows a power purchase agreements Owens Corning signed in 2015 that enabled new wind capacity in Texas and Oklahoma. Both wind farms came online in late 2016 and can generate 1.1MWh/yr of electricity. For every MWh of renewable electricity generated, the company receives one Renewable Energy Credit (REC). It then applies the RECs toward the manufacture of more sustainable products.

“Reducing the embodied carbon in building products has long been a discussion across the building industry,” said Frank O’Brien-Bernini, Owens Corning vice president and chief sustainability officer. “We’re excited to see it come to life through certified products made with renewable energy and reduced embodied carbon.

The three types of insulation available with the wind power certification are EcoTouch Insulation, Thermafiber RainBarrier Continuous Insulation and Unbonded Loosefill Insulation.

Germany: Xella International has announced changes to the management of its subsidiary Ursa. Jochen Friedrichs has been appointed as the chief executive officer (CEO) of its subsidiary Ursa. He will also join the Xella Group Executive Committee. Xella said Friedrichs was responsible for the acquisition of Ursa on the Xella side of and therefore holds ‘detailed’ knowledge of both Ursa and Xella.

Other appointments include the assignment of Björn Baum as the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of Ursa. He will also remain as the Head of Xella Group’s Energy Management. Joaquín Lozano Agramunt will retain his position of Chief Financial Officer (CFO) at Ursa. In addition, Ana Lluch Martinez, Chief Legal and HR, and Gonzalo de las Alas-Pumariño, Head of Technology and Projects, will become members of the Ursa Executive Committee.

Xella International announced that it was buying Spain’s Ursa in August 2017. The European Commission approved the acquisition of the insulation producer by Xella in October 2017. The acquisition is expected to compete by the end of 2017.

UK: The British Rigid Urethane Foam Manufacturers’ Association has changed its name to the Insulation Manufacturers Association (IMA). The association said that the new name reflects the position that polyisocyanurate (PIR) and polyurethane (PUR) insulation manufacturers hold in providing the largest share of insulation products used in the UK market. It added that given expected growing market share of organic-based insulation products that, “…the trade association has a responsibility to ensure it is the principal point of contact for all audiences relevant to this sector with a name that reflects this responsibility.”

Simon Storer, Chief Executive of IMA said that the association need to move towards a wider audience that wasn’t necessarily used to technical or industry language. “Events of this year certainly brought this need into sharp focus, as many commentators and other interested parties were unable to immediately identify which trade association spoke for which part of the industry. We also wanted to be sure that as an association we are solely responsible for and have ownership of the messages coming from this sector.”