Knauf Insulation has announced the building of a new low carbon rock mineral insulation plant in Shotton, North Wales, UK on land acquired from Tata Steel’s existing operational steelworks in Deeside.

Strategically located less than two miles from the existing Knauf Insulation Queensferry plant, the large-scale facility will have an annual capacity in excess of 100,000 tonnes to meet the growing market demand for sustainable, non-combustible insulation.

The plant will rise on an investment of around £170m and will utilise UK-first submerged arc furnace electric melting technology to produce low embodied carbon insulation.

The Shotton site was selected for its excellent transport links, and being close to other Knauf Insulation plants enables logistics optimisation. The proximity to existing operations will also facilitate a faster ramp up, utilising existing process expertise. The investment in the new Shotton plant also allows Knauf Insulation to further decarbonise and significantly increase its UK and export supply of rock mineral wool products, complementing its existing Queensferry facility.

Subject to planning, environmental and other considerations, construction of the Shotton plant is scheduled to begin in 2026, with production anticipated to start by the end of 2027.

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