Rockwool International A/S : expands production capacity in Russia, lowers carbon emissions

Established in 2006, ROCKWOOL's facility in Vyborg, northwest of Saint Petersburg, supplies North West and Central Russia as well as Finland. The new production line will use ROCKWOOL's cutting-edge large-scale electric melting technology.

"We are expanding production capacity to meet customer demand for energy efficient, sustainable, and non-combustible building materials. Implementing the electric melting technology combined with renewable energy will reduce the factory's carbon emissions by 50 percent and also improve its circularity. This will help satisfy the growing market demand for sustainably produced, low-embodied carbon construction products while also helping to meet our own decarbonisation goals", says ROCKWOOL Group CEO, Jens Birgersson.

ROCKWOOL is one of the few energy-intensive companies whose global decarbonisation targets have been verified and approved by the Science Based Targets initiative. To fulfil these targets, ROCKWOOL has invested significant resources in developing new low-carbon melting technologies, which it will continue rolling out as part of its long-term decarbonisation strategy. Because this technology can use large amounts of recycled materials, it also contributes to creating greater circularity in the construction sector.

In the coming years, ROCKWOOL expects to invest up to around EUR 200 million to expand capacity at Vyborg and upgrade equipment and processes at its other Russian facilities as well. The expansion will create more than 70 additional permanent jobs.

"ROCKWOOL has operated in the Leningrad Region for 15 years, and is a reliable partner and well- recognisedbrand within the building materials market. I am glad that the company continues to develop in our region, investing in new production and creating new jobs. For us, it is extremely important that ROCKWOOL's management looks to the future and makes long-term investments in new technologies that will reduce carbon emissions. This will have a positive effect on the environment in the region - and on the export of products", says Governor of the Leningrad Region, Alexander Drozdenko.

State Secretary Terhi Lehtonen, Ministry of the Environment of Finland, highlights how the project connects with Finnish national priorities, saying, "Energy efficiency of buildings and use of sustainable building materials play a key role in reaching Finland's targets for carbon neutrality by 2035. New national legislation is currently being circulated for comments. As Finland is aiming at carbon neutrality and carbon negativity thereafter, it becomes essential to manage the emissions that are related to the full life cycle of buildings. This will cover the manufacturing of products, construction work, use of the building, renovations, and, ultimately, its deconstruction and recycling".