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Reinventing Hällekis: Electric melting and in-house expertise | Paroc Article
Owens Corning Reinviting Hällekis Team

Decades of in-house knowledge drive the Reinvention of Hällekis

Written By PAROC•Date Published 2026-05-18

Large-scale industrial reinvention is rarely driven by technology alone. At Owens Corning Paroc, it is the result of long-term in-house expertise, built through decades of engineering development, advanced technology investments, and close collaboration across teams.

Right now, in-house technical experts are focused on the plant in Hällekis, Sweden, where new electric melting lines are scheduled to be commissioned in early 2027. The reinvention of the Hällekis plant is driven by Owens Corning’s long-term commitment to innovation and supported by decades of experience from previous projects.

The electric melting process at Hällekis builds on designs used at other OC plants, but has been further engineered to enable higher recycling rates, an important requirement for the Scandinavian market.

In practice, the upgrade is made possible through close collaboration across a critical triangle: the Center of Excellence team, which develops and refines the concepts, the workshop, which builds and assembles the equipment, and the Hällekis plant team, which brings the solutions to life in daily operations.

PAROC Skövde Workshop Reinventing Hällekis
PAROC Skövde Workshop Reinventing Hällekis

PAROC Center of Excellence Reinventing Hällekis
PAROC Center of Excellence Reinventing Hällekis

Reinventing Hällekis collaboration between Paroc and PEAB
Hällekis Plant Team Reinventing Hällekis


Expertise has been building up for decades

Design engineering at Owens Corning Paroc has a long history. Electric melting technology arrived at Paroc’s factory in Finland 40 years ago – decades before many other companies adopted it. The Hällekis upgrade builds on electric melting solutions already implemented at other OC plants, grounding new developments in proven, operational experience.

Over time, this continuity in technical work has accumulated experience within the organization, enabling earlier designs to be developed and adapted as production requirements evolve. This supports modernization while maintaining stable and reliable operations. 

Proven concepts are retained where they perform well, while new technology is introduced where it adds value. By working repeatedly with similar equipment across sites, practical experience is built over time, supporting long-term development and production systems to evolve.

Owens Corning Paroc is proud to collaborate with a multidisciplinary engineering team across multiple European locations, working across all stages of the production process. With the organization’s long history, the team can build on the strengths of earlier designs and adapt new solutions and technology to meet today’s and tomorrow’s customer needs. 

Owens Corning Engineers Reinventing Hällekis

Experience applied in the Hällekis Reinvention

Working with complex production processes such as stone wool melting requires more than individual experience, it also depends on the ability to transfer and apply that knowledge and expertise to other sites.

Previous upgrades from coke-fired furnaces to electric melting at Owens Corning Paroc’s factories in Parainen and Trzemeszno have strengthened the organization’s overall know-how and is now applied in the Reinventing Hällekis project, through extensive testing, careful planning, and close collaboration across multiple functions. This collective effort ensures that solutions, such as dimensioning and design of the melting process, are developed with a full understanding of operational requirements and are ready for implementation in daily production.

Owens Corning Engineers Reinventing Hällekis

Previous experience has shown that while operating an electric furnace may appear straightforward when you understand the process, achieving stable, reliable performance requires years of hands‑on experience. Such a level of understanding can only be built through close collaboration with experienced colleagues and long‑term involvement in production environments.

By sharing, documenting, and reusing knowledge across projects, teams can make informed decisions and adjust efficiently when needed. While individual expertise is important, it is the structured way knowledge is shared, documented, and reused across projects that makes large-scale reinvention possible.

Reinventing Hällekis

Collaboration is the key to success

Everyone involved in the Reinventing Hällekis project emphasizes that, above all, it has been a collective effort requiring thousands of tests, meticulous scheduling, and close collaboration across Owens Corning Paroc’s various departments.

As part of this work, key production components have been developed and manufactured within the organization, supporting a controlled and integrated implementation. Design ownership and strong in‑house technical expertise play an essential role in this process.

An Owens Corning Paroc workshop located close-by the Hällekis factory in Sweden, enables short decision-making paths when adjustments or detailed changes are required. This proximity to the plant is also a major advantage, especially when time is limited.

The factory machines evolve and are rebuilt in stages, which often brings new challenges that require well-thought-out solutions. Addressing these comes down to having solid input data and a high level of precision, but also continuously developing our people. With the right expertise and experience within the team, these challenges can be handled effectively.

PAROC Skövde Workshop Reinventing Hällekis
PAROC Skövde Workshop Reinventing Hällekis

PAROC Skövde Workshop Reinventing Hällekis
PAROC Skövde Workshop Reinventing Hällekis

Development never stops - The new melting process enables higher recycling rates

At Hällekis, a new facility has been constructed, consisting of two buildings: one for the electric melter and one for raw materials handling and filtration processes. By switching to electric melting, the Hällekis facility is expected to reduce its Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 80%, a step toward Owens Corning’s long-term sustainability goals.  

The electric melting process at Hällekis builds on designs used at other OC plants, and has been further engineered to enable higher recycling rates, an important requirement for the Scandinavian market, and tighter process control.

At the same time, the project reflects a broader commitment to continuous improvement. Production systems are regularly reviewed and refined, supported by strong in-house expertise and a focus on making equipment easier to maintain, and above all, safer to use.

Owens Corning Engineers Reinventing Hällekis

With the ability to develop and adapt solutions and equipment internally, solutions can be continuously improved and implemented efficiently across sites. For our customers, this means shorter paths from identified needs to practical improvements. 

Discover the latest updates on the Hällekis plant reinvention
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