Vandersanden's new Pirrouet® factory extracts up to 2280 tons of CO₂ annually
Vandersanden, Europe's largest family-owned brick manufacturing company, has officially opened the first Pirrouet® factory in Lanklaar. It involves an investment of 32.5 million euros. The plant produces 20 million CO₂-negative Pirrouet® facing bricks annually when at maximum capacity. One ton of these bricks absorbs 60 kg of CO₂ during curing, and the entire production process is powered by green energy from the factory’s solar panels and wind turbine. “With the plant, we are making a significant contribution to CO₂ reduction and reinforcing our ambition to operate completely CO₂ neutral by 2050,” said Johan Deburchgrave, CEO of Vandersanden.
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One year after launching Pirrouet®, the first CO₂-negative facing brick on the market, Vandersanden officially opened the first Pirrouet® factory in Lanklaar. Not only is the Pirrouet® brick sustainable and environmentally friendly, but the production process is also CO₂-neutral. The green electricity that powers the factory is largely generated by its solar panels and windmill. Pirrouet® uses residual streams from the steel industry contributing to a substantial reduction of up to 80% of primary raw materials and significantly reducing waste.
Investment of 32.5 million euros for CO₂-neutral production process
The new factory employs 26 people and has an area of 8,000 m². Annually, the facility produces up to 20 million Pirrouet® facing bricks. There is also an opportunity to expand the plant, doubling the production capacity to 40 million bricks per year. Vandersanden has received a European subsidy of 2.2 million euros for this project, with a total investment of 32.5 million euros in the factory. The European grant program falls under “Horizon Europe,” which supports the installation of the necessary equipment and further research into CO2 capture and reuse.
Johan Deburchgrave, CEO of Vandersanden, commented, “With the opening of this new factory, we can now produce Pirrouet® bricks on a large scale. This is an important step in increasing our joint ecological impact. We are extremely curious about the beautiful projects this will create, and there are already many promising initiatives in the pipeline.”
One-year CO₂-negative Pirrouet® facing brick
Exactly one year ago, Vandersanden introduced the Pirrouet® facing brick, which, thanks to a unique carbonation technology, absorbs 60 kg CO₂ per ton during curing. The facing brick is not fired, but cures with CO₂ derived from plants within energy-intensive industries, resulting in a solid, limestone-like structure. With a production capacity of 20 million bricks per year, the factory can remove 2,280 tons of CO₂ from the air annually. This is equivalent to the CO₂ absorbed by 114,000 adult trees per year.
Pirrouet® facing bricks are already being used in several building projects, including the Green Nobelhorst project in Almere, where 60 sustainable homes are being built. These projects are part of a broader and well-stocked project pipeline. “Green Nobelhorst is all about sustainability and innovation. The choice of Pirrouet® facing bricks in our project is a conscious decision to further reduce the ecological footprint of the project. These facing bricks fit perfectly with our vision to realise sustainable and energy-efficient homes,” says Helmich Heutink, CEO of Heutink Groep, the contractor of Green Nobelhorst.
As the first CO₂-negative facing brick in the construction industry, Pirrouet® marks an important milestone in making the construction industry more sustainable. This innovative facing brick supports Vandersanden's ambition to be fully CO₂-neutral by 2050. By using Pirrouet® facing bricks, the company hopes to make a significant contribution to reducing the construction industry's carbon footprint and promoting sustainable building practices.
Long-term ambitions
The factory is not currently operating at full capacity but has the capability of doubling its production volume depending on further expansion and investment. The plant could produce up to 40 million bricks per year, leading to an uptake of approximately 4,560 tons of CO₂ per year. This would again contribute significantly to reducing the ecological footprint.
Johan Deburchgrave emphasizes, “This plant is a fully operational production facility and fits seamlessly with our other production units. It is not just a pilot project, but an essential and serious step in our commitment to sustainable production and CO₂ reduction.” Looking to the future, Vandersanden's ambition is to realise multiple Pirrouet® factories as such an expansion will contribute to a broader impact and further strengthen their sustainability goals.
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