It’s great to have a good news story to include in our newsletter. This time we can report on the official opening of the new Kingspan manufacturing facility at which Application Solutions was represented. The following article is based on information provided by Kingspan.
The $40 million plant is the most technically innovative and energy efficient facility yet for the Kingspan Group which leads the world in the manufacture of high performance, rigid board insulation.
The new 14,000 square metre facility is located in the City of Hume where Ford Australia shut down local production in 2016. The Kingspan plant has already created 26 new jobs with another 24 people to be employed as production ramps up. The new jobs include production and warehouse positions and trainee positions in chemical engineering and information technology as well as sales, management, operations and administrative support.
Kingspan Insulation Australia, a division of the Kingspan Group, is Australia’s leading supplier of high performance insulation. Kingspan Australia will now not only be able to supply insulation products made in Australia but also export throughout the Asia Pacific region with 20 per cent of production already scheduled for export. This is expected to grow to 35 per cent by 2020.
Somerton manufacturing facility is the first fourth-generation Kooltherm manufacturing site in the world, using the group’s latest technical innovations in its manufacturing processes.
Kingspan Kooltherm is a super high performance rigid thermoset phenolic insulation with ultra-low conductivity for roofs, walls and floors. It offers exceptional thermal and fire performance and its ultra-thin profile allows for more internal floor space to be created due to thinner walls.
Kingspan places a high priority on net zero energy manufacturing and aims to meet the energy requirements of its 100-plus manufacturing sites around the world through renewable energy by 2020. It currently meets approximately 60 per cent of energy requirements.
The Somerton facility was designed by architect Tone Wheeler, a leader in environmentally sustainable design in Australia. It has a 750kW solar system designed into its roof structure which, when installed, will provide most of its daytime shift energy requirements. It also uses Kingspan’s energy saving smart lighting system and was constructed using high performance Kingspan insulation products throughout to significantly reduce energy requirements and optimise comfort and safety for employees.
The facility was built using sustainably sourced or manufactured building materials, uses energy renewing ventilators that provide occupants with 100 per cent more fresh air than required by the building code and harvests rainwater for bathroom and landscape use.
The Kingspan Insulation plant at Somerton is on track to be Australia’s first Green Star-rated manufacturing facility.
For more information about Kingspan visit https://www.kingspan.com/au/en/business-groups/kingspan-insulation/
