CO₂ mineralisation used in a commercial construction project for the first time
Holcim has joined forces with the Swedish start-up Paebbl and the German main contractor Goldbeck to incorporate carbon storage into Holcim concrete. The companies have used Paebbl’s CO₂ mineralisation technology in the construction of a logistics centre in southern Germany, sequestering 886 kilograms of CO₂.
The Zug-based building materials group Holcim, in collaboration with the Swedish start-up Paebbl and the main contractor Goldbeck, has used Paebbl’s CO₂ mineralisation technology for the first time in a commercial construction project. The technology converts captured CO2 into a light grey mineral powder – consisting of magnesium carbonate and silicon dioxide – which is then used as a cementitious additive (SCM) in concrete production.
As part of the collaboration, the cementitious additive Paebbl Rebond was used for the first time in a Holcim concrete with a verified Environmental Product Declaration (EPD). During the construction of the foundations for a logistics centre in southern Germany, the partners used the mineralisation technology to reduce the proportion of conventional cement in the concrete by 15 per cent compared to the reference concrete CEM II/B-M. The concrete mix permanently sequestered 886 kilograms of CO2 across a total area of 420 square metres.
“With this project, we have demonstrated how innovative technologies can be scaled up to create a more sustainable built environment. It is the result of a fantastic collaboration with our partners and proves that innovations in the construction industry do not arise in a vacuum, but through a collaborative ecosystem,” said Bengt Steinbrecher, Head of Holcim MAQER Ventures.