The world’s lowest-emission hollow-core slabs based on the Geoprime solution developed by Betolar and Consolis Parma are entering the ‘industrial production phase’.
Betolar and Consolis Group’s Finnish subsidiary Parma have signed a three-year license and supply agreement, which includes the exclusive right to manufacture the world’s lowest-emission hollow core slabs in Finland using Betolar’s Geoprime solution. The agreement also includes a pre-emption and exclusive right for other Consolis Group companies operating in 17 different countries to adopt Betolar’s Geoprime solution in producing the hollow core slabs and certain other concrete products in other countries using Betolar’s solution.
The production of hollow core slabs, a key component in modern construction, represents a significant advancement in sustainable building practices by utilising industrial side streams as construction material instead of cement. Betolar’s innovative Geoprime solution combined with Consolis Parma’s extensive knowledge in precast concrete production raise the ease of low-carbon construction to a new level. Betolar’s and Consolis Parma’s world’s lowest-emission hollow-core slabs can achieve up to 75% lower carbon dioxide emissions (compared to Finnish emission data base conservative value).
“The low-carbon hollow-core slabs by Betolar and Consolis Parma received approval in the spring according to EN standards. This includes endorsement from the Finnish Concrete Association for the use of activator chemicals as concrete admixtures. Together, these will enable CE marking in Finland for a new type of low-carbon hollow-core slabs that can be used in the same way as conventional hollow-core slabs”, states Ville Voipio, Director, Construction & Marketing.
“In Finland, the focus remains largely on improving the energy efficiency of buildings rather than on low-carbon building materials. However, building materials account for a significant portion of a building’s lifecycle emissions – about 40 %. Low-carbon hollow-core slabs and other concrete products can significantly reduce building’s lifecycle emissions. This commercial agreement with Consolis Parma is a significant step for us in bringing low-carbon products to the market. We are very excited and pleased to deepen our cooperation and open new opportunities for both parties”, says Tuija Kalpala, President and CEO of Betolar.
Hannu Tuukkala, CEO of Consolis Parma, added, “The strategic environmental goal of our sustainability program is to reduce our emissions by five percent annually and halve them by 2035. In four years, we have already cut our emissions by a fifth. But we need new ways to reach this ambitious target. Our partnership with Betolar is a great example of how we are developing to offer our customers even lower-emission precast concrete elements, helping the whole industry move towards sustainable low-carbon construction.“
Production will start in stages with the first year of production of low-carbon hollow-core slabs for the first pilot site followed by a gradual increase in production volumes. The agreed pilot site production volumes will not have a significant impact on Betolar’s revenue or profit. Both companies are dedicated to ensuring the highest standards of quality and environmental responsibility throughout the production process.
