With three million tons of asphalt, consisting of fossil-based binder (bitumen) and mineral aggregate produced annually in Europe, there is great interest in finding more sustainable and circular asphalt components. In both national and international projects, bio-based components have been mixed with bitumen and have in some cases also contributed to decreases in bitumen content. The proposed project takes this work further, based on available raw materials, where companies have or are in the process of building production facilities in Sweden, with production quantities suitable for the asphalt sector. By finding value-creating uses for the low-value components in the bio value chain, the project not only contributes to climate and environmental goals, but also to strengthening the companies’ overall business model.
The project’s focus on availability, compatibility, processability, performance and work environment will advance the field, where previous projects have indicated that there are needs. In this way, the project contributes to the Swedish Transport Administration’s goal that the infrastructure should be climate-neutral until 2045.
Participants
RISE Research Institutes of Sweden, EnviGas, Lixea, Lund University, Nouryon, Peab, RenFuel, Rubber Innovation, Swedish Tyre Recycling and Trafikverket (Swedish Transport Administration).
Budget & time plan
The project’s total budget is 3 MSEK and the project runs for 27 months – between August 2024 and November 2026.