Knauf Insulation Announces New £172m Rock Mineral Wool Factory

KNAUF INSULATION is planning a major investment of circa €200 million (£172m) in a new state-of-the-art rock mineral wool factory to serve the UK market.

The large-scale facility, with an annual capacity in excess of 100,000 tonnes, will utilise cutting-edge, low-carbon electric melting technology.

Knauf Insulation says the new facility will meet the growing market demand for sustainable, non-combustible insulation solutions.

Through this investment, Knauf Insulation will achieve two of its key goals. It will decarbonise and increase its UK supply of rock mineral wool products, in addition to its existing Queensferry plant.

New Rock Mineral Wool Factory

The new factory will address the market’s growing need for insulation solutions with ultra-low embodied carbon. This will play a key role in helping the UK achieve its net zero targets.

Knauf Insulation’s MD for Northern Europe, Neil Hargreaves said: “Following the €50 million+ investment across our two UK glass mineral wool plants in 2023/4, this represents another exciting development for the business and our valued customers, as well as a further sign of confidence from Knauf Group in the future growth of the UK and Northern European mineral wool markets. The investment represents a step change in the capacity, capability, and sustainability of our UK rock mineral wool solutions, whilst significantly contributing towards Knauf Group’s ambitious sustainability goals.”

It is anticipated the additional capacity will become available in 2026. Knauf Insulation is engaged with authorities to select the most competitive location for the facility, in order to maximise its future success.  More updates are expected during 2024 as the project progresses.

Knauf Insulation is part of the Knauf Group, a €15.4bn turnover multi-national family-owned manufacturer of building materials and construction systems. Knauf Insulation employs more than 6,000 employees and has 28 manufacturing sites in 15 countries, with a turnover of €2.5bn. In the UK, the company employs around 600 people at its manufacturing plants in Cwmbran, Queensferry and St Helens.

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