Betolar and Consolis Parma develop the world's lowest-emission hollow-core slabs

Betolar Plc

Press Release

27.6.2023

Betolar and Consolis Parma develop the world's lowest-emission hollow-core slabs

Concrete element manufacturer Consolis Parma and material technology company Betolar have conducted an extensive testing program for research and development of low-carbon hollow-core slabs. The development project is now entering the production phase. YIT, the largest Finnish construction company, is interested in testing the new slabs.

Using the Geoprime® solution by Betolar, it is possible to achieve up to 75 percent lower emissions than standard precast hollow-core slabs.

"Stricter carbon emission regulations require more sustainable solutions from the construction and concrete industry. Now, together with Consolis Parma, we are introducing a new alternative," says Janne Rauramo, EVP, Strategic Partnerships at Betolar.

The research and testing phase of the development collaboration between Consolis Parma and Betolar has included extensive laboratory experiments conducted at both Betolar and Consolis' material development center in Rusko. Industrial-scale production testing has been carried out at Parma's Hyrylä factory. The test castings have undergone comprehensive full-scale initial testing with various cross-sections, adhering to standard requirements.

"In collaboration with Betolar, we have carried out several industrial-scale production tests using different types of hollow-core slabs. The tests have validated the production potential of manufacturing hollow-core slabs with extremely low cement quantities. The test results are so promising that it is entirely feasible to produce such a structural product almost entirely without cement," says Hannu Tuukkala, CEO of Consolis Parma.

The low-carbon hollow-core slab development program is now transitioning from the laboratory and factory testing phase to piloting low-carbon hollow-core slabs in real test sites.

"This is the first time our Geoprime solution is being used for structural purposes. After the pilot phase, we have great potential to scale the solution across the entire Consolis group," says Rauramo.

Betolar's solution supports Consolis Parma's sustainability program

In terms of environmental responsibility, Parma aims to halve its emissions by 2035. In the first two years of measurement, the company’s specific emissions have been reduced by ten percent. The main drivers for reducing emissions are the increased use of low-carbon concrete elements and circular economy practices.

"Radically reducing the climate impact is a shared responsibility of the entire construction industry in order to achieve Finland's carbon neutrality target. The cement industry is doing good work to reduce emissions, but we cannot simply wait for solutions like carbon capture and storage. According to our strategy, climate-related issues are at the forefront of our development, and we actively seek new avenues to address these challenges," says Tuukkala.

The PARMA Concrete Care™ sustainability program covers the entire value chain of sustainable concrete construction, including innovative manufacturing technologies and low-carbon products, as well as social and economic responsibility. PARMA's low-carbon products have third-party-verified Environmental Statements and are certified under the Consolis group's Green Spine Line.

The development partnership with Betolar brings new opportunities for producing Parma's low-carbon products, as the successful testing of Betolar's Geoprime solution for hollow-core slab manufacturing has taken place.

"With the European green agenda and tightening carbon emission regulations, the construction and concrete industry must seek sustainable alternatives in their production processes. The development collaboration with Parma, which has set ambitious goals, has been determined and inspiring," adds Rauramo.

"In Finland, our collaboration with Betolar is an excellent example of how the keys to climate solutions are already in our hands today. Genuine change also requires customers like YIT who are willing to embrace our new solutions without prejudice. I strongly believe that with courage and collaboration, we can solve the environmental challenges of our industry ahead of time," says Mikael Stöhr, CEO of the Consolis Group.

YIT shows strong green light for pilot projects

YIT, the largest construction company in Finland, is interested in testing the new, even lower-carbon hollow-core slabs.

"We welcome with great pleasure and interest the news about the results of the development work done by Parma and Betolar. The deliveries of Parma's low-carbon hollow-core slabs to our ongoing projects have proceeded smoothly, and we are very interested in testing the even lower-carbon alternative resulting from this development work in practice," says Antti Inkilä, EVP, Housing at YIT.

YIT took a significant step towards low-carbon construction by starting to use Parma's low-carbon hollow-core slabs based on the PARMA Green™ technology in its residential production at the end of last year.

"We build sustainable homes and living environments. As part of our strategy, we are committed to reducing both our own emissions and those of our value chain according to the Science Based Targets initiative. We continuously seek new ways to decrease the climate impact of construction," says Inkilä.

For more information:

Janne Rauramo, EVP, Strategic Partnerships, Betolar, +358 50 475 4900, janne.rauramo@betolar.com

Hannu Tuukkala, CEO, Consolis Parma, +358 50 598 9292, hannu.tuukkala@consolis.com

Maija Taimi, SVP, Communications, YIT, +358 50 487 1561, maija.taimi@yit.com

Betolar

Betolar Plc is a Finnish materials technology company that offers the production of sustainable and low-carbon concrete with the Geoprime solution. The solution converts industrial side streams into a cement substitute.

Betolar's artificial intelligence innovation can significantly reduce CO2 emissions compared to traditional cement-based concrete production by optimizing existing manufacturing processes, supporting solution development with advanced analytics, and creating global markets for side streams. Betolar's mission is to help reduce CO2 emissions and the use of virgin resources.

Betolar was founded in 2016 and is domiciled in Kannonkoski, Finland. Betolar is listed on the Nasdaq First North Growth Market. Read more: www.betolar.com

Consolis

Consolis is a European leader in precast concrete solutions, providing intelligent and sustainable solutions for the construction and utilities sectors. Together with their customers, they create beautiful buildings and infrastructure with qualities to serve communities for centuries to come. Well-built for well-being is the Consolis motto.

Consolis believes in responsible industry leadership and is committed to leading the sustainable transformation of the construction industry. The group employs over 9,000 people in 17 markets worldwide. The group had a turnover of nearly EUR 1.3 billion in 2022. Read more: www.consolis.com/

YIT

YIT is the largest Finnish and a significant North European development and construction company. We develop and build sustainable living environments: functional homes, future-proof public and commercial buildings, infrastructure for smooth mobility, and renewable energy solutions to benefit the climate. We employ around 5,000 professionals in nine countries: Finland, Sweden, Norway, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Poland. Our revenue in 2022 was EUR 2.4 billion. YIT Corporation’s share is listed on Nasdaq Helsinki. Read more: www.yitgroup.com