Hungarian construction manufacturer opens new plant in Italy

A new polystyrene thermal insulation material manufacturing plant will begin production in northern Italy, according to a statement from the Hungarian-owned company Masterplast. They explain that they now have manufacturing operations in five countries and have tripled their thermal insulation material production capacity thanks to developments over the last two years.

Masterplast's newest manufacturing facility is located in Calerno, Reggio Emilia, where the production technology is installed in an existing industrial facility.

By triggering the need to build a greenfield project, the investment cost has been reduced and the time required for development has also been reduced. The technology used is highly scalable, which helps to operate efficiently and adapt quickly to changing market needs.

Masterplast sees good opportunities in the Italian market

The project is worth around €3 million and was financed by the company using its own resources and local investment incentives. The market activity of the Italian subsidiary is focused mainly on the sale of insulation products manufactured in-house, supported by the development of an efficient distribution and logistics system.

Masterplast predicts that if the full capacity is sold, the plant could generate an additional €15 million in sales revenue for the company per year. The market in Italy has expanded strongly in recent years, thanks to the "Superbonus" thermal insulation programme, which has generated significant demand for insulation systems. The company expects the Italian market to remain buoyant, given that a large part of the country's building stock is uninsulated and has low energy efficiency.

"Reducing energy consumption in buildings is one of the most important elements of the green transition, because the cleanest and cheapest energy is the energy that is not wasted. The energy modernisation of buildings is also an important element in achieving the EU's energy and carbon neutrality targets, and is a major element of the REPoweEU and Fit for 55 programmes. By the middle of the decade, we will have significant capacities in the production of both plastic and mineral-based insulation materials, which will ensure that we strengthen our market position"