immo!nvest – Die Plattform für Standorte und Immobilien

Tag: Verwertung

  • 10 million Swiss francs in funding for concrete recycling technology

    10 million Swiss francs in funding for concrete recycling technology

    Almost 40% of global CO2 emissions are attributable to the construction and building sector. Around 30 billion tonnes of concrete are produced worldwide every year and demand continues to rise. The binding agent cement and the composite material concrete are important building materials – but their production contributes to climate change. Estimates suggest that the cement industry alone is responsible for more than 8% of global greenhouse gas emissions. With reCO2ver® Sika has developed an innovative technology that enables complete recycling of concrete demolition material and is unique in the concrete industry.

    17,000 tonnes of CO2 storage in concrete demolition material by the end of 2030

    Sikas not only processes old concrete into the high-quality individual components gravel, sand and cement stone, but can also bind additional CO2 thanks to a chemical process. Approximately 15 kilogrammes of CO2 can be permanently stored per tonne of demolition material. In addition, the performance of the cement paste powder produced in the process is optimised by Sika additives

    Additives and can thus be used again as a cement substitute in concrete production. A pilot plant has been in operation in Switzerland since October 2021 – the test phase has now been successfully completed.

    In order to be able to provide standardised proof of the plants’ added climate value, Sika is developing a climate protection programme together with South Pole in accordance with the specifications of the Swiss Federal Office for the Environment (BAFU). A significant milestone has now been reached with regard to the implementation and use of this technology for CO2 capture and storage: the Swiss Climate Cent Foundation guarantees the purchase of CO2 certificates from this programme of initially CHF 10 million until the end of 2030.

    The implementation of the industrial plants is a central component of the certified climate protection programme. By the end of 2030, around 17,000 tonnes of CO2 are to be stored in concrete demolition material. This is roughly equivalent to the amount of CO2 released during the construction of 850 single-family houses made of concrete. Philippe Jost, Head Construction Sika: “With our innovative strength and our sustainable technologies, we enable our customers in the construction and automotive industries to reduce their ecological footprint and make the transition to more sustainability. We are very pleased that the reCO2ver® technology is being specifically promoted. We are convinced that through the programme we are creating great added value for the construction industry, the environment and for future generations.”

  • Recycling Centre Ostschweiz sets new standards with innovative processing plant

    Recycling Centre Ostschweiz sets new standards with innovative processing plant

    A new soil washing plant has been built at Niederstettenstrasse 28 in Niederstetten near Wil SG. With the fully automated plant, RCO now also processes contaminated construction waste and returns it to the building materials cycle as high-quality materials. RCO expects about 200,000 tonnes of processed building material per year that can be reused in this way. This means that more than 500 single-family homes could be built each year from sustainable building materials.

    Washing instead of landfilling
    The wet-mechanical processing plant replaces the dry-mechanical plant that has been in operation for about two decades. “With the soil washing plant, we can now accept and process materials that previously had to be landfilled. This includes, for example, contaminated excavated materials,” says Samuel Graf, a member of the RCO board of directors. “This not only saves valuable landfill space, but also conserves natural gravel resources.” The materials are then widely used in civil engineering, for example as sand or gravel for concrete production.

    Taking building materials recycling to the next level
    The state-of-the-art process technology sorts, classifies and doses the various material components. “In addition, pollutants and foreign substances can be removed efficiently, which ensures a significantly improved quality of the products,” explains Stefan Eberhard, Delegate of the Board of Directors. “The building materials produced in this way are of high quality and conform to standards – this is also demonstrated by our company building.” This consists to a very large extent of recycled building material and serves RCO as a showroom to visually demonstrate the many advantages of sustainable building materials to customers and the public.

    About the R CO
    The RCO was founded in 2018 by the two companies Holcim Kies und Beton AG and Zürcher Kies und Transport AG. With their joint know-how, Holcim and Zürcher are driving innovations in building materials recycling, closing material cycles even more consistently and serving the eastern Swiss market with high-quality building materials.