Vinay Pratap Singh, Business Unit Director, ROXUL ROCKWOOL Technical Insulation India Private Limited. In an Interview with B2B Purchase.

Can you brief us on the demand trends for insulation in the construction and roofing segment? 

India has emerged as one of the fastest growing economies in the world, with expectations of being one of the top three economic powers in the world over the next 10 years. Moreover, with the enormous planning for smart cities in metro and B-tier cities, demand for insulation materials would be higher. Urbanisation often brings infrastructure and domestic building closer. The Indian insulation market will grow with the increase in urbanisation.

Stone wool is a versatile natural material with multiple benefits that make it ideal for applications in buildings, industry, transportation, horticulture, and water management. The ROCKWOOL Group is a major player in the insulation industry, advocating for policy changes to accelerate progress in this area. We are helping to facilitate this change through practical support, such as advising end-consumers, policymakers, and regulators on the criticality of stone wool insulation. Policymakers and businesses in developing regions should not be deterred from boosting energy productivity due to the present condition and the fluctuating oil prices. 

Which insulation product/solution/ technology is widely being used for construction and roofing?

Appropriate building design and installation of insulation is key to ensure optimal energy efficiency while reducing greenhouse gas emissions In the coming future, ROCKWOOL stone wool insulation products will play an increasingly significant role in addressing these challenges. Our focus would be on educating people more on the benefits of ROCKWOOL stone wool insulation solutions. ROCKWOOL’s business strategy is driven by a passion for creating solutions that connect global trends with profitable business opportunities by creating superior solutions to protect life, assets, and the environment, and to create comfortable, healthy, and attractive spaces.

What are your offerings in this segment, and what are their thermal and acoustic features?

Stone is one of the most abundant resources, and At ROCKWOOL, we transform volcanic rock into stone wool. It is a safe and sustainable products that help people and the communities where they live, learn, work and play. ROCKWOOL Stone Wool products leverage the 7 strengths of stone, which are thermally efficient, fire-resistant, water repellent, robust in nature, high in acoustical comfort, and doesn’t harm the aesthetic of the building, and most importantly it’s recyclable. Even after 80 years, we are still innovating and discovering new ways to transform it and our search is not over yet. ROCKWOOL offers fire-safe, thermally efficient, highly durable, and recyclable stone wool insulation. Our general building insulation products are available in various density and thickness for applications such as Ceilings, Roofs, Exterior and Interior Walls, as well as Façade insulation. It is designed and manufactured to achieve excellent acoustic and thermal performance. To provide occupants with acoustic comfort, ROCKWOOL has developed a series of acoustic solutions specifically for residential, commercial, educational and healthcare.

ROCKWOOL Cool ‘n’ Comfort, is designed for single or double skin metal roof, available for all type of roof applications. The unique properties of Cool ’n’ Comfort contribute to make an energy efficient, environmentally sustainable and fire safe roofing system, thereby creating a cool, comfortable and safe indoor environment.

ROCKWOOL Hardrock roofing boards provide a one-stop solution to roofing insulation requirements. They are suitable for over deck roofing application for new and re-roofing applications on metal deck or concrete deck with excellent mechanical strength and dimensional stability in addition to excellent Thermal and acoustic value.

ROCKWOOL Safe ‘n’ Silent solutions combine various types of partition systems to meet the required acoustical performance that would meet the required NC and achieve the desired ambient noise level. It protects buildings and occupants, keeping them comfortable and safe while at the same time saving energy and reducing carbon emissions resulting from excessive cooling or heating.

ROCKWOOL is leveraging the seven strengths of stone to create products that meaningfully address the biggest challenges facing our world. All ROCKWOOL stone wool insulation products has the ability to withstand temperatures of over 1000°C without melting according to DIN 4102-17 and ASTM E794. All of them are noncombustible and achieves the highest European fire classification, A 1, according to EN13501-1, having Noise reduction coefficient ranged from 0.95 to 1.0 and Sound Transmission class as high as 70-80 db depends on system and also inorganic and contain no nutritious substance as such it will not rot or attract vermin and microorganisms. 

What are the major challenges that industry is facing currently? 

The challenge is to build sustainable cities that can support their populations even in the future. ROCKWOOL stone wool insulation products are highly flexible, and with the increasing environmental concerns, the focus is more on creating a sustainable environment and embracing it. Use of insulation materials for process applications is one of the factors expected to boost demand for insulation materials across a wide range of industries, including construction and allied activities, services and utilities, community services, hotels and restaurants, transportation services, and so on. With the pandemic surely leaving its mark, we anticipate that governments will continue prioritising investing in infrastructure, which would help to sustain the growth of the building materials industry and enable strong developers to create quality and greener spaces, which would add value to the economy.

Can you share your plans for 2022-2023? 

We have been serving the Indian market for 8 years now, and our presence worldwide dates back 80 years. Our business has been growing in leaps and bounds in the past years, and we do have a strong outlook for the future to embark on a journey of sustainable business growth. We are looking forward to working with our stakeholders at different levels to provide solutions that will give them the experience to improve their way of life. ROCKWOOL products for sandwich panels are excellent structural core materials for factory-engineered flat and profiled panels. They are suitable for outdoor and indoor applications such as facades, roofs, walls, ceilings, and heavy-duty sandwich panels for wider spans or greater heights. We are constantly engaged in testing and development of new products, discovering new product properties, matching required standards, etc. Even after 80 years, as stone wool global leader, we believe learning is a constant process.

How are the changing geographical conditions affecting the demand for thermal and mineral insulation across construction/ roofing sector? 

India has emerged as one of the fastest growing economies, with an anticipation of being one of the top three global economic powers in the next 10 years. According to source, even after the Covid impacts, India projects an economic growth of 7.5 percent for 2022-23. India’s economic recovery is on a solid path amidst speedy vaccination progress. Furthermore, the government has taken initiatives and introduced laws and policies to bring all greenhouse gas emissions to net-zero by 2070. 

ROCKWOOL’s work in accelerating the change to a more sustainable world is not limited to our products or operations but we also promote energy efficiency and reduction in carbon emissions through sustainable stone wool insulation. ROCKWOOL products have a significant positive impact on people and society. We are committed to empowering everyone to rise to the challenges of modern living. We understand that getting the design of the building envelope right can give the greatest benefits in terms of reduced energy use and greater sustainability.