World’s largest electric melting furnace for stone wool in operation
The world's largest electric melting furnace for stone wool was commissioned in Flums. With this investment of over 100 million Swiss francs, Flumroc has taken a significant step towards decarbonization, reducing its CO2 emissions in stone melting by 80 percent.
After a two-year construction period, the world’s largest electric melting furnace for stone wool was inaugurated today in Flums. This milestone marks a significant development for the Swiss stone wool producer Flumroc and emphasises its commitment to pioneering technologies. The new furnace runs entirely on electrical energy from Swiss hydropower, reducing CO2 emissions from the melting process by 80 per cent. This corresponds to an annual saving of around 25,000 tonnes of CO2, comparable to the emissions of 5,500 oil-fired households.
The opening ceremony was attended by more than 100 guests from the worlds of politics and business, including Federal Councillor Albert Rösti, who emphasised the importance of this investment for energy efficiency and environmental protection. He emphasised that such projects are crucial for reducing CO2 emissions and protecting the environment.
The electric melting furnace customised for the production facilities in Flums positions Flumroc as a pioneer in the stone wool industry. Damian Gort, Managing Director of Flumroc, explained: “With the world’s largest electric melting furnace, we are realising a technological feat that significantly improves the eco-balance of our products and makes an important contribution to an energy-efficient and sustainable building stock.”
The investment in the Flums site reinforces Flumroc’s commitment to regional production and ecological sustainability. “It is neither sensible nor ecologically justifiable to transport the voluminous product over hundreds of kilometres. Only through domestic production can we really guarantee a closed cycle,” says Gort. Flumroc has been producing stone wool in Flums for over 70 years and, with 225 employees, is one of the most important employers in the region.
The use of the new electric melting furnace makes Flumroc’s production process much more sustainable. Compared to conventional insulation materials, Flumroc’s Swiss stone wool now has the lowest greenhouse gas emissions from production to disposal. This consolidates Flumroc’s position as an environmentally conscious producer in the building materials industry.