Swerock and Cemvision Launch the Concrete of the Future With Near-Zero Emissions
The concrete of the future is here. On July 3, Swerock and Cemvision marked a significant milestone with the first casting of ready-mixed concrete with near-zero carbon dioxide emissions. The premiere took place at Swerock's factory in Malmö, where a 60-square-meter area was cast.
- Our ambition is to lead the industry's transition, says Angelika Bohlin, CEO of Swerock. It is fantastic to see that we have been part of developing a concrete that can guide the industry.
The casting in Malmö was made possible after extensive laboratory testing to find the right concrete mix. This included ensuring the concrete's fresh properties, setting time and strength development in the short and long term. The result of this premiere casting will be a surface for storing macadam at the factory site.
Today, the cement industry is responsible for about 8% of the world's annual carbon dioxide emissions. The CO2-reduced binder used in this concrete casting is a Swedish innovation from Cemvision. The company aims to use more types of residual products to avoid virgin raw materials altogether, and to electrify production instead of using fossil fuels.
- Concrete is only as green as the cement, or binder, it is mixed with, as 90% of concrete's carbon footprint comes from the cement. Seeing our green cement, Re-ment, successfully used in customers' projects shows that our innovation is ready to make a difference today, says Oscar Hållén, CEO of Cemvision.
In the longer term, the goal is to achieve an updated regulatory framework that supports concrete with lower climate impact, which would accelerate industry-wide change.
- It feels particularly great that we are the first in Sweden to use Cemvision's binder in a live project, says Angelika Bohlin. We will monitor the results of this casting and continue with relevant sampling to ensure durability over time.
It was three years ago that Swerock's new factory in Malmö opened its doors to the industry's most ambitious sustainability initiative. From the outset, the modern facility was designed and adapted for the ongoing development of products with a lower climate footprint.
- We want to be at the forefront, involved from the beginning, and influence the outcomes. Here, we have been part of the process from the start, from developing the optimal concrete recipe to conducting tests and now, finally, applying it in a live project in our operations, said Angelika Bohlin. Already this fall, we will also deliver concrete with Cemvision's Re-ment to several projects in the Malmö area.
For further information please contact:
Julia Hägglund, julia.hagglund@swerock.se, +46 707 69 56 11
Victoria Bäck press@cemvision.se, +46 702 20 05 32
About Swerock:
Swerock is one of Sweden's largest suppliers of materials and services to the construction industry. The offering includes aggregates, concrete, transportation and machinery services, as well as environmental services such as recycling, soil remediation and water treatment.
About Cemvision:
Cemvision manufactures a circular, high-performance cement that reduces CO2 emissions by up to 95% compared to traditional Portland cement. The company was founded in 2020 by experienced leaders and researchers from the cement industry and is backed by leading investors such as Bill Gate's Breakthrough Energy, Norrsken Foundation, EQT Foundation,BackingMinds, Polar Structure, and Zacua Ventures.
Photo: Dylan Di Pace
