2 minute read - 22nd May 2025
Saint-Gobain to make major investment in Melton Mowbray
Saint-Gobain plans to make a major investment in low-carbon manufacturing in the UK, with a new multi-million pound stone wool insulation factory at the former Holwell Foundry Works in Melton Mowbray. The new factory is targeted to begin production in 2027 and, when at full capacity, has the potential to deliver 250 new jobs.
The new manufacturing facility will invest in cutting-edge technology, including all-electric melting technology to power the furnace, which will be powered by renewable electricity. This investment will help customers reduce the embodied carbon of construction projects and support Saint-Gobain’s goal to be a net-zero carbon business by 2050 across scopes 1, 2, and 3.
The facility will initially produce 50,000 tonnes of stone wool insulation products under the Saint-Gobain Isover brand with the potential, following further investment, to double its output to 100,000 tonnes a year. The insulation, made from abundant, mostly volcanic natural rock, will help meet increasing demand for sustainable construction solutions for new building projects and the growing need to improve the insulation levels of existing housing.
Saint-Gobain is to make a multi-million pound investment in a new low-carbon stone wool insulation factory in Melton Mowbray / Picture: Saint-Gobain UK
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The new Isover stone wool insulation facility will build on Saint-Gobain’s existing UK insulation manufacturing capacity at its Isover glass wool plant in Runcorn.
The facility will be located on the site of the former Saint-Gobain PAM Holwell Foundry Works in Melton Mowbray. This continues the site’s long history of manufacturing, which began in 1878. As part of the planned facility, the site will be regenerated, natural habitats restored and enhanced, and more than 100 local jobs created in the first phase.
Dean O’Sullivan, managing director of Saint-Gobain’s interior solutions businesses, said: “This is a major investment in new low-carbon stone wool insulation in the UK. Light and sustainable construction solutions are growing in demand, driven by the need to reduce the impact of buildings on the environment and our own goals to meet our business’s target to become a net-zero carbon business. Through this investment, which we plan to begin production in 2027, we will be able to provide customers with high-performance, very low-embodied carbon stone wool insulation in addition to our existing glass wool insulation. The investment is a strong sign of commitment to delivering low-carbon light and sustainable solutions and meeting our own ambitious sustainability targets.”
