Saint Gobain Or Regulatory News (COD)

19 Feb 2007 17:43

Compagnie de Saint-Gobain19 February 2007 Paris, February 19, 2007 Press release SAINT-GOBAIN ISOVER TO CONSTRUCT A NEW INSULATING MATERIAL PLANT IN FRANCE Saint-Gobain Isover is to build a new, 70,000-ton capacity glass wool plant inChemille, (Maine-et-Loire) France. The plant is due to begin production at theend of 2008, will create approximately 150 jobs. This investment, which stands at around €100 million, is designed to addressdemand in fast-growing insulation markets in Western Europe and particularly inFrance. New regulatory requirements regarding the thermal performance of new andexisting buildings should result in a 40% reduction of energy consumption in newbuildings by 2020, and a fourfold reduction of energy consumption in existingbuildings by 2050. The thermal insulation of buildings leads to substantialsavings and is one of the most effective ways of combating greenhouse gasemissions. Cutting edge techniques incorporating the latest environmentally-compliantpractices will be used in the design and construction of this plant, which willadhere to HQE(R) (High Environmental Quality) guidelines. This strategic project will enable Saint-Gobain Isover to meet the strong demandfor insulation products on a buoyant construction market, while at the same timeextending its product range and maintaining its worldwide leadership. Saint-Gobain Isover forms part of Saint-Gobain's Construction Products sector.With 45,000 employees worldwide and 250 consolidated companies, the ConstructionProducts sector is a leader in all its businesses: insulation (Isover), gypsum(Placo, Gyproc, Rigips, ProRoc), outdoor living products (CertainTeed),industrial mortars (Weber) and pipe (Pam). In 2006, it delivered consolidatedsales of €10.9 billion, representing 26% of the Saint-Gobain Group's overallsales. Investor Relations Department Mrs Florence TRIOU-TEIXEIRA Tel.: +33 1 47 62 45 19Mr Alexandre ETUY Tel.: +33 1 47 62 37 15 Fax: +33 1 47 62 50 62 This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock Exchange