Green asphalt permanently removes CO2 from the air
During a road repair in Dornbirn, asphalt with an admixture of charcoal was used for the first time. If the test mix meets expectations, a test stretch of 30 meters will be laid in mid-October. Roads can thus become carbon stores.
In Dornbirn, as part of the expansion of the district heating network, new asphalt is being laid on a stretch of road. So-called green asphalt is used for the first time. 1.7 percent charcoal from the production of theEnergieWerk Ilg is added to the asphalt. This allows the carbon contained in the charcoal to be stored and the CO2 formed with it to be permanently removed from the atmosphere. The company is thus improving its carbon footprint.
A first test mixture was installed on September 24th, according to a message from EnergieWerk Ilg. If this mixture meets expectations, a test section of 30 meters is to be laid on October 14th and 15th.
If the pilot project in the state of Vorarlberg is successful, roads can become new CO2 sinks. Asphalt can contain around 5 percent of such additives on average. This means that 100,000 tons of asphalt could soon permanently remove well over 10,000 tons of CO2 from the atmosphere.
The pilot project is supported by a number of partners. The asphalt is manufactured by Migu Asphalt in Lustenau, which intends to use it to introduce a new product and strengthen its market position. The technology for producing the charcoal comes from the Syncraft company in Schwaz in the state of Tyrol. EnergieWerk Ilg, which supplies the admixture, has already been climate-neutral and can become climate-positive with this product. The city of Dornbirn is profiling itself as a model region for the energy transition .
Hans-Peter Schmidt from the Ithaka Institute in Arbaz VS advises the project. Carbonfuture GmbH in Freiburg i.Br. certifies carbon storage. This means that certificates for the removal of carbon from the atmosphere can be issued and the green asphalt can be co-financed.
The project was initiated by the European Biochar Industry ( EBI ) consortium. EBI wants to create and establish new, verifiable and certifiable CO2 sinks with charcoal and biochar.
