Manni Group Warehouse

Manni Group, one of Europe’s leading steel service centres, has partnered with ROCKWOOL Core Solutions and Isopan to build a new warehouse that sets a benchmark for low-carbon construction. 

Located in the province of Verona, the 13,800 m² facility is designed to store long steel products for Manni Sipre. Beyond its functional role, the project reflects a deeper commitment to sustainability: integrating low-carbon materials, efficient construction practices, and collaborative innovation to demonstrate the future of industrial architecture.

The race to decarbonise: a shared challenge

In the race to decarbonise the built environment, industrial buildings present a significant and often overlooked opportunity for emissions reduction. This concerns both Scope 3 emissions – embodied via the carbon intensity of selected materials and technologies – and Scope 2 emissions, dependent on energy and resource efficiency.

With buildings accounting for 39% of global energy-related carbon emissions (28% from operational Scope 2 and 11% from Scope 3), the challenge is immense. Furthermore, around 75% of EU buildings are currently energy inefficient, yet most will remain in use by 2050. Consequently, improving energy performance in new builds like this facility is essential to meeting climate goals and achieving green building certifications such as BREEAM.

The construction sector faces mounting pressure to reduce carbon emissions while maintaining productivity and building performance. One essential strategy is the use of high-quality insulation to cut energy demand for heating and cooling.

Driven by end-user expectations and upcoming regulations such as the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), developers increasingly demand solutions that combine performance, durability, and reduced embodied carbon.

Stone wool clearly meets this challenge. Its naturally low thermal conductivity and low diffusivity minimise heat transfer across seasonal extremes – reducing summer heat gains during peak conditions and winter heat losses, helping buildings maintain stable indoor temperatures while reducing energy consumption. Non-combustible (Euroclass A1) and able to maintain its dimensions and shape over time, stone wool also resists moisture and mold, ensuring consistent and long-term acoustic, thermal and mechanical performances for industrial facilities of any size.

Partnering to reduce the carbon footprint of the Manni Sipre warehouse

In early 2024, Manni Group approached ROCKWOOL Core Solutions with a clear brief: to source a low carbon stone wool insulation for a new warehouse serving its steel distribution business, Manni Sipre. The goal was to demonstrate that advanced materials and close collaboration could deliver both functional excellence and measurable environmental improvements.

Working jointly with Isopan, the partners defined the required technical characteristics and panel performance parameters for 2.400x1.205x103 mm stone wool boards. Pilot production trials began in July 2024, followed by the first full LC Spanrock manufacturing run during the summer for a total of 220 tons.

Our stone wool insulation was used as the core material in Isopan’s high performance sandwich panels:
■ 4,500 m² of façades with Isoparete Fire Evo 120 mm panels
■ 9,300 m² of roof with Isofire Roof 80 mm panels

The building’s steel framework was supplied by Steelior, Manni Sipre’s structural elements division, using low CO2 steel profiles sourced from international suppliers. On site construction began in July 2024, with operations commencing in January 2025: a rapid execution timeline that was achieved through strong alignment between partners.

Achieving sustainability without compromising performance

By integrating LC Spanrock into Isopan’s sandwich panels, the Verona project achieved a 20% reduction in Global Warming Potential (A1–A3) relative to panels using standard stone wool cores, all while maintaining benchmark performance in fire safety, durability, and thermal efficiency.

The forthcoming Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) for LC Spanrock will provide further transparency and data to support project certification under leading sustainability frameworks.

As Europe’s building stock transitions under evolving regulatory frameworks and climate commitments, projects like Manni Sipre demonstrate a pragmatic path for industries to make measurable progress on their Scope 2 and 3 emission reductions.

Ultimately, the shift to low carbon construction is driven by people: designers, engineers, and manufacturers re-imagining what’s possible when sustainability becomes part of every decision.