Ravago Building Solutions has joined the ‘Made in Britain’ accreditation scheme, becoming the first and only extruded polystyrene (XPS) thermal insulation manufacturer to be eligible to apply the widely recognised marking to its range of Ravatherm XPS X products.
Ravago Building Solutions is the UK’s original manufacturer of XPS insulation. Over 65 years ago, Ravago began making the UK’s first ever range of XPS insulation at its UK headquarters in King’s Lynn, and Ravatherm XPS X continues to be manufactured and distributed from the site.
“Joining ‘Made in Britain’ is an overdue step given our strong heritage in UK manufacturing,” said Joan Ferrer, Commercial Director for UK and Ireland. “Since we first pioneered the use of XPS insulation in the UK, our UK manufacturing operation has continued to evolve.
“Over the decades, our plant team has worked to ensure we always stay ahead of the curve, allowing for the development and roll out of innovative new product formulations, including new blowing agents and the use of infra-red blockers. We continue to set new heights and Ravatherm XPS X ULTRA now has the lowest thermal conductivity of any UK manufactured XPS board accompanied with a BBA certificate.”
Speedy transportation with a reduced carbon footprint
Ravatherm XPS X boards are readily available in a range of thicknesses and compressive strengths. Delivery from Ravago’s UK XPS manufacturing facility in King’s Lynn can be achieved within 3-4 days of an order being placed.
In addition to speedy transportation, Ravago’s UK manufacturing operation also allows for reduced transportation emissions.
Generic EPDs covering organisations across a wide geographical area can mask the true transportation emission figures. Ravago has a standalone EPD for Ravatherm XPS X products manufactured at its King’s Lynn plant; the average transport distance for an order is also often below the value stated in the certificate so the typical order will have a smaller transport emissions footprint than claimed.
| King’s Lynn | Hanover | Brussels | Madrid | |
| OPS | 6.95kg | 19.87kg | 9.44kg | 40.16kg |
| ENE | 1.35kg | 3.7kg | 1.81kg | 7.36kg |
| TOT | 8.31kg | 23.57 | 11.25kg | 47.52kg |
| Emissions compared to UK | – | 184% > | 35% > | 472% > |
| Carbon emissions for a 500kg load (equivalent to approx. 15-16m3 of XPS insulation) delivered to London. OPS: OPERATIONAL, operational emissions (comparable to TTW: Tank-to-Wheel) ENE: ENERGY PROVISION, energy provision (comparable to WTT: Well-to-Tank) TOT: TOTAL, total emissions (comparable to WTW: Well-to-Wheel) Calculated in accordance with ISO 14083:2023 using https://www.carboncare.org/ | ||||
Precision manufacturing and robust quality control
Refined over the decades, the production process for Ravatherm XPS X in a BSI 9001:2015 certified facility places a premium on consistency, allowing for comprehensive Declarations of Performance (DoP). This approach allows for the inclusion of lab results attained during initial type testing and declarations of “NPD” (No Performance Determined) are used only as a last resort and only when the value is immaterial.
UK Product with UK Support
In addition to UK manufacturing, Ravago has a dedicated UK commercial and technical team to support its customers, with more than 100 years of collective experience working in insulation. They work alongside the production team to ensure product availability and can coordinate manufacturing of custom thicknesses.
“Distributed across the UK, our team offers virtual and in-person support for prospective customers,” continued Joan. “They use their extensive experience to assist with product specification and collaborate with our production team in King’s Lynn to ensure that Ravatherm XPS X boards are quickly delivered to site.”