Combining circularity and decarbonization
Heidelberg Materials launch first industrial scale facility for enforced carbonation in Poland
HEIDELBERG Materials have started operations at their new industrial pilot facility for enforced carbonation in Górażdże, Poland. This marks the next step in the large-scale implementation of Heidelberg Materials’ patented ReConcrete process, which leverages new potential in the production of sustainable building materials by combining circularity and decarbonization.
The new facility in Górażdże processes recycled concrete paste (RCP) recovered at the company’s first-of-its-kind recycling plant in Katowice, Poland. RCP naturally absorbs and permanently binds CO2, thereby acting as a carbon sink. To harness this potential and accelerate the natural process, the RCP undergoes a treatment known as enforced carbonation. This process involves exposing the RCP to exhaust gases from the kiln in Górażdże, allowing CO2 to chemically bind within the material. Once carbonated, the RCP can be used as a supplementary cementitious material (SCM), partially replacing energy-intensive clinker in composite cements.
‘Scaling ReConcrete is an important step for us in unlocking new ways to reduce the carbon footprint of our products,’ explained Dr Katharina Beumelburg, chief sustainability and new technologies officer at Heidelberg Materials. ‘At the same time, it is an excellent showcase of our integrated approach to sustainability – we can now combine circularity and resource efficiency with decarbonization, leveraging RCP’s natural ability to bind CO2.’
‘I’m proud of our teams for successfully bringing ReConcrete to life, which marks a significant milestone on our journey to closing the CO2 cycle in cement production,’ said Jon Morrish, member of the managing board of Heidelberg Materials and responsible for Europe. ‘With the collective strength of our local team and central R&D functions, our accomplishment in Poland will serve as a blueprint for similar projects across the Group as we continue to expand our circular and low-carbon product offering for our customers.’
The process has the potential to reduce CO2 emissions by approximately 900–1,000kg per tonne of RCP used. This total includes 100–150kg of CO2 that is permanently bound during the carbonation of RCP, and an additional 750–850kg of CO2 emissions that are avoided by replacing clinker with carbonated RCP in composite cements.
In July 2024, Heidelberg Materials launched the first phase of large-scale implementation of ReConcrete by opening an innovative recycling plant for selective separation in Katowice, Poland. This pioneering facility features a proprietary crushing mechanism that enables advanced separation and sorting, allowing for the complete recycling of old concrete into its original constituents. The fractions obtained include high-quality sand and gravel, equivalent to virgin raw materials, with RCP as the finest of the fractions.
Heidelberg Materials will now focus on conducting operational trials and evaluating the technology under industrial conditions. The company’s pilot facility is part of the international ‘Carbon4Minerals’ research and development project, carried out by a consortium of leading scientific, technological, and industrial partners across Europe. The project is co-funded by the European Union and by the Swiss State Secretariat for Education, Research, and Innovation (SERI).
