Ukraine: Ma'Ryzhany Hemp Company has started up a new €17.7m hemp processing plant in Zhytomyr, situated in the Ma'Ryzhany industrial park, 160km from Kyiv. The plant will process hemp into various products, including shives for use in concrete, chipboard and bioplastics production. The plant has a capacity of 14,000t/yr and employs 200 workers.
Ireland: Researchers at Trinity College Dublin's School of Engineering have developed a novel, 51%-reduced CO₂ concrete using biomass ash from the Edenderry power station. Precast concrete products company FLI Precast Solutions also collaborated on the research, which piloted two possible methods. The first method partially replaces cement with biomass ash, while the second eliminates cement entirely through geo-polymerisation of ash with slag. Enterprise Ireland funded the project under its Construct Innovate initiative. The partners will now seek to advance the adoption of this technology across Ireland.
The Edenderry power station supplies 150,000 homes with energy produced using 100% biomass from wood and agricultural sources.
Researcher Sara Pavia said "Biomass is inherently carbon-neutral. However, the disposal of the resulting ash byproduct represents a considerable challenge.”
Australia: Green360 Technologies is developing a metakaolin for use in concrete production that has already exceeded quality benchmarks. Tests at Murdoch University in Perth confirmed that the product has an amorphous content greater than 88%, compared to a typical range of 55 - 75% for existing metakaolins on the Australian market.
The Sydney Morning Herald newspaper has reported that Green360 Technologies will now progress to commercial-scale concrete production trials with its joint-venture partner Permacast, which produces precast and prestressed concrete products.
France: Standards body Kiwa Innovation has certified Saint-Gobain's 3D concrete printing method. The company says that the independent certification confirms the effective performance of the process.
