Heidelberg Materials invest in clean-tech start-up EnviCore

Companies join forces to transform waste minerals into low-carbon supplementary cementitious materials

HEIDELBERG Materials are continuing to develop and scale circular technologies by investing in EnviCore, an innovative clean-tech start-up developing low-carbon solutions based in Canada. Together with EnviCore, Heidelberg Materials will focus on increasing the use of recycled construction and demolition waste (CDW) to save valuable resources as part of their strong commitment to strengthen the circularity of their products.

EnviCore have developed advanced proprietary technology reprocessing construction and demolition waste (CDW) into supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) involving a dry thermochemical process. SCMs are naturally occurring and industrial by-product materials that can be used to replace part of the energy-intensive clinker in cement or concrete, resulting in up to 25% replacement of ordinary Portland cement in concrete mixes.

Based on the results of an upcoming feasibility study, the companies will decide on deploying a pilot SCM production facility close to one of Heidelberg Materials’ recycling hubs. The facility would serve to validate EnviCore’s technology under industrial conditions and optimize SCM production at scale. As part of this collaboration, Heidelberg Materials have also acquired a minority stake in EnviCore.

Dr Dominik von Achten, chairman of the managing board of Heidelberg Materials, said: ‘Circular solutions are a key component of our sustainability strategy as an important lever to drive progress on our path to net zero. By 2030, we aim to offer circular alternatives for 50% of our concrete products, reflecting our strong commitment to building a circular and resilient future.’

Dr Katharina Beumelburg, chief sustainability and new technologies officer and member of the managing board of Heidelberg Materials, said: ‘EnviCore’s novel approach has the potential to unlock new possibilities of increasing the amount of recycled material we use in our products. This could pave the way to further reduce our need for virgin materials, contributing towards preserving valuable natural resources and protecting our environment.’

Shahrukh Shamim, chief executive officer of EnviCore, added: ‘We are thrilled to receive both strategic investment and collaborative support from a global leader like Heidelberg Materials. Working together, we accelerate our mission to provide sustainable, high-performance cement alternatives on a commercial scale.’

Both parties have agreed not to disclose the financial terms of the transaction.

This latest investment reflects Heidelberg Materials’ leading role in closing the loop within the building materials sector. Recently, the company has commissioned an innovative recycling plant for selective separation at its production site near Katowice, Poland. The first-of-its-kind facility enables sophisticated separation and sorting capabilities to fully recycle demolition concrete and substitute virgin materials in concrete production. With a capacity of up to 100 tonnes of concrete per hour, Heidelberg Materials say they are the first company in the industry to introduce high-quality, selective concrete separation at this scale.