Knauf Insulation has just announced plans for a brand new $189 million Glass Mineral Wool insulation plant in Malaysia, which would provide an array of benefits to Australian builders and homeowners.
The new plant, which will be located in the Johor Bahru region of Malaysia is on track to provide a strong capacity of 75,000 tonnes of material a year. The $189 million Glass Mineral Wool insulation plant has been forecast to create 180 jobs in Malaysia, along with an added 60 new positions region-wide. The facility will feature state-of-the-art technology and control equipment, making it one of the most efficient and sustainable insulation plants within the Asia Pacific region.
“We have seen record sales due to increasing energy costs across Asia and more stringent energy-saving building regulations in countries such as Australia, Japan and Korea,” shared Stuart Dunbar, Regional General Manager for the Asia Pacific Region at Knauf Insulation.
“This is a reflection of the growing preference our customers have for the exceptional quality, performance, ease of handling and sustainability of our solutions,” he explained.
It was also announced that the new insulation plant will use up to 80 per cent post-consumer recycled glass in the manufacturing process and feature Knauf patented high compression packaging. All products will also be made using Knauf Insulation’s revolutionary bio-based binder, ECOSE® Technology.
Through the new facility, Knauf Insulation aims to provide significant advantages for Australian builders and homeowners, including a wider product range for residential and non-residential buildings as well as providing solutions for HVAC systems and common domestic appliances (ovens, cars and fridges).
Australian customers will also have access to highly competitive prices for Knauf Insulation’s high-quality Glass Mineral Wool (known as Earthwool ® in Australia).
“Earthwool® has already set a benchmark for handling (soft to handle), sustainability (made using recycled glass and a bio-based binder, ECOSE® Technology) and inherent thermal, acoustic and fire performance (non-combustible),” the company stated in a recent announcement.
Earthwool is the name of the product supplied in Australia.
Highly efficient shipping logistics from Malaysia will enable the leading insulation company to develop new distribution partnerships in South-East Asian countries and strengthen its presence in the major insulation markets of Japan, Australia, Korea, New Zealand and Singapore.
“The new facility will open many opportunities to our customers and partners to expand their participation in the developing market for sustainable and energy efficient buildings in the region,” said Mr Dunbar.
Knauf Insulation’s Group COO, David Ducarme said the investment testifies the long-term commitment of the Knauf Group to develop its insulation activities worldwide as one of its core business pillars.
“And it marks another major milestone on our company’s journey to become the world’s leading provider of innovative high-performance insulation solutions,” he said.
The large-scale insulation plant is set to be completed in early 2020.
More information on this can be accessed here.
