Poland’s leading expandable polystyrene (EPS) manufacturer Termo Organika has launched a new production facility in Rypin, Poland.

The company’s new 300,000m³/year unit is expected to increase its output capacity by nearly 21.5%. The size of the investment was not disclosed by Termo Organika, which is the biggest producer of EPS panels in Poland.

The Rypin-based factory will make orange EPS panels fitted with improved UV protection in the microencapsulation process, according to company representatives.

“Panels manufactured in this technology have improved features ... all while preserving the quality of regular expandable polystyrene,” said Jerzy Pasternak, a spokesperson for Termo Organika. The company’s latest-generation orange EPS is more UV-resistant, adhesive and durable than regular polystyrene, he said.

According to the Polish manufacturer, the new plant’s EPS output will be chiefly intended for the domestic and western European markets.

Set up in 1998, the Kraków-based company operates three production facilities in Poland, located in Glogow, Siedlce and Mielec. Aside from EPS, the firm’s plants also make PE film and extruded polystyrene rigid foam (XPS) insulation products.

In September 2011, local investment fund Krokus Private Equity purchased a 75% stake in Termo Organika from Irish construction materials company CRH plc. The cost of the acquisition was not disclosed by the fund, which has about €100m under management.

“The company is the Polish market’s leader with an annual expandable polystyrene output of 1.4 million m³,” Krokus Private Equity said in a statement. “Termo Organika aims to strengthen its leading market position by increasing the range of its products and boosting its revenues.”

Poland’s EPS market was estimated to be worth about 2bn zloty (€461m) in 2010, according to data from the Polish Polystyrene Manufacturers’ Association (PSPS).