LG Hausys has completed its second PF insulation plant at the Oksan Industrial Complex in Cheongju, Chungcheongbuk-do, and is set to fully target the high-performance insulation market, where demand is surging.
In this regard, LG Hausys announced that the second PF insulation plant, which received a total investment of 54 billion won since construction began in early 2017, has been completed, began trial production in early May, and recently entered full-scale mass production.
The second PF insulation plant was built on a site right next to the first plant with an annual production capacity of 6 million㎡. As a result, LG Hausys's total annual PF insulation production capacity has grown to 9 million㎡, three times the existing first plant's capacity (3 million㎡). Nine million㎡ is enough to supply approximately 70,000 households, based on 84㎡ (formerly 34-pyeong) apartments.
In particular, the second plant maximized production efficiency through process optimization and the introduction of automated equipment, and the company plans to further boost productivity going forward through continuous improvements to its production facilities.
LG Hausys's PF insulation offers the best insulation performance among domestic building insulation materials, and it has earned semi-noncombustible certification, providing fire safety by preventing fire from spreading between floors—making it a highlight in the market.
LG Hausys entered the high-performance insulation market in October 2013 when it became the first company in Korea to begin mass production of PF insulation. As the government's building fire safety standards and insulation standards were strengthened, demand for high-performance insulation continued to grow, prompting the company to expand its production capacity accordingly.
In fact, since April 2016, a revised Building Act requiring insulation used as finishing material in buildings of six or more stories to be noncombustible or semi-noncombustible has been in effect. Furthermore, starting this September, the 'Building Energy Conservation Design Standards' will take effect, tightening the insulation standards for each part (exterior walls/top-floor roof/lowest floor/floor/windows and doors) that must be met when obtaining a building permit to the level of passive buildings in advanced countries (Germany). A passive building is one that minimizes energy loss to reduce reliance on heating equipment.
Accordingly, in the domestic building insulation market worth 1.3 trillion won, the share of insulation with semi-noncombustible performance or higher is expected to exceed 25% by 2022, up from the current 15%.