KCC Expands Glass Wool Unit 2 at Gimcheon Plant

KCC Chairman Chung Mong-jin is holding a spark symbolizing the start of operation of Glasswool Unit 2 at the Gimcheon plant on the 31st.

On the 31st, KCC announced that it is expanding its inorganic insulation material glass wool production line No. 2 at the Gimcheon plant, strengthening its position as a leading company in eco-friendly, high-quality non-combustible insulation materials.

On the same day, KCC held a power-on ceremony and safety prayer ritual at the Gimcheon plant located in the Gimcheon General Industrial Complex to mark the start of the new glass wool line No. 2 and to wish for accident-free and disaster-free operations. About 50 people attended the event, including KCC Chairman Chung Mong-jin, KCC CEO Chung Jae-hoon, employees, and partners.

The newly expanded glass wool line No. 2 is the largest single production line in Korea, with an annual production capacity of approximately 48,000 tons, enabling the production of about 160 tons of products per day. During the expansion process, emphasis was placed on practicing ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) management and exploring various measures to build sustainable infrastructure. To achieve the 2050 carbon neutrality goal, state-of-the-art electric resistance furnace equipment was applied to improve energy efficiency. Like line No. 1, a wet electrostatic precipitator (Wet-EP) was installed. This maximizes the removal efficiency of air pollutants generated at the plant, allowing for more eco-friendly operation compared to conventional melting furnaces.

Including the line expanded last year at the Munmak plant, KCC has established a glass wool production base with an annual capacity of 180,000 tons, securing global top-level competitiveness. The newly expanded line No. 2 will undergo trial production and is scheduled to begin full-scale commercial production in mid-September. This expansion is expected to open up supply channels in the inorganic insulation material market, which had previously faced supply shortages. KCC anticipates that it will rapidly replace the organic insulation material market, which is vulnerable to fire safety issues.

The glass wool produced by KCC is a representative inorganic insulation material made by melting glass raw materials such as silica sand at high temperatures to create inorganic fibers shaped like wool, then molded into various forms such as rolls, boards, panels, covers (insulation pipes), and mats. Unlike organic insulation materials made from petrochemical raw materials, it does not emit pollutants and is characterized by excellent insulation performance and non-combustibility.

KCC’s Gimcheon plant has been producing ceramic fiber since July 2012, mineral wool since December 2015, Mytone ceiling materials since April 2016, and glass wool since March 2017. Approximately 100 billion KRW was invested in this expansion. Since the establishment of the Gimcheon plant, a total of about 500 billion KRW has been invested.

Kim Hak-kyung, Executive Director of KCC’s Building Materials Division, stated, “As social consensus on fire safety in buildings spreads and government policy directions strengthen, the importance of inorganic insulation materials is becoming more prominent. This glass wool expansion is the result of KCC’s proactive and bold investment to actively respond to national demands and market needs.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.