- The facility processes recycled concrete paste to reduce CO₂ emissions by 900 to 1,000 kg per tonne.
- The project is part of the Carbon4Minerals initiative, co-funded by the EU and Swiss SERI.
- In July 2024, Heidelberg Materials launched a recycling plant in Katowice, Poland.
- The process involves enforced carbonation using exhaust gases from the kiln.
Facility Launch
Heidelberg Materials has initiated operations at its new industrial pilot facility for enforced carbonation in Górażdże, Poland. This facility marks a significant step in implementing the company's patented ReConcrete process, which aims to enhance sustainability in building materials by integrating circularity and decarbonisation.
ReConcrete Process
The facility processes recycled concrete paste (RCP) sourced from a recycling plant in Katowice, Poland. RCP naturally absorbs CO₂, acting as a carbon sink. The enforced carbonation process accelerates this by exposing RCP to exhaust gases from the kiln, allowing CO₂ to chemically bind within the material. The carbonated RCP can then be used as a supplementary cementitious material, reducing the need for energy-intensive clinker in composite cements.
Environmental Impact
The process has the potential to reduce CO₂ emissions by approximately 900 to 1,000 kg per tonne of RCP used. This includes 100 to 150 kg of CO₂ permanently bound during carbonation and an additional 750 to 850 kg of CO₂ emissions avoided by replacing clinker with carbonated RCP.
Future Developments
Heidelberg Materials will focus on operational trials and technology evaluation under industrial conditions. The pilot facility is part of the international “Carbon4Minerals” research and development project, supported by a consortium of scientific, technological, and industrial partners across Europe, and co-funded by the European Union and the Swiss State Secretariat for Education, Research, and Innovation.
