Rehau, Germany -- Polymer pipework specialist Rehau has opened its first UK facility to produce pre-insulated pipework for the district heating and biomass sectors. The new operation will be sited at Rehau's long established factory in Blaenau, North Wales.
Until now, the UK market has relied exclusively on imports of this type of pipework, and Rehau says by investing in UK production, it is "not only significantly reducing the carbon footprint of the Rauvitherm pipe it supplies but is also promising improved service levels and a more flexible and responsive customer service.
Rehau has seen sales of Rauvitherm more than double over the past year, driven by the booming market in the UK for biomass and district heating and, more recently, by the impact of the Renewable Heat Incentive.
Martin Hitchin, Rehau's chief executive, said at the official opening: "Despite the fact that it is a global group, Rehau has long had a policy of producing locally wherever possible and this investment is very much in line with that.
"It is further evidence of our commitment to reducing carbon emissions across the entire supply chain and of securing that supply chain on behalf of our customers."
At Blaenau, Rehau can produce many thousands of metres of pipe per year as it grows its market share, and it sees this as the first step in bringing further manufacturing of the product range for renewable energy into the UK.
Rauvitherm is a pre-insulated crosslinked polyethylene (PEX) pipe made with layers of PEX insulation and an HDPE outer jacket which is longitudinally watertight. It is popular in the UK market because of its flexibility, which simplifies and speeds up installation. Some Rauvitherm products also use polyurethane insulation."
