Partnership for the development of sustainable earth building materials

Laufenburg AG/Dietikon ZH, May 2024

ERNE AG and Oxara AG have agreed to collaborate on the development of sustainable clay-based building materials. The goal is to set a new standard for sustainability in the Swiss construction landscape through innovative solutions. Oxara's patented technology aims to significantly reduce CO2 emissions.

ERNE AG, headquartered in Laufenburg, and Oxara AG from Dietikon are joining forces to develop sustainable building materials based on clay. The two companies have already signed a letter of intent to this effect, ERNE announced in a press release. Through the partnership with the spin-off of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich(ETH), the construction company aims to change the Swiss construction landscape and set a new standard for sustainability.

“ERNE’s company history is characterised by innovation and creative solutions,” said Markus Meier, Managing Director of ERNE AG Bauunternehmung, in the press release. “Oxara is therefore the ideal partner for us to make a contribution to CO2 reduction in the industry with the joint development of sustainable building materials.” According to ERNE, it has been interested in clay construction for some time, but has not yet found a suitable binding agent.

This shortcoming is to be remedied with Oxara. The company’s founders have developed a patented technology for additives and binders that can be used to produce recyclable, cement-free and unfired building materials from building rubble and excavated material. Compared to conventional bricks and concrete, they have up to 90 per cent lower CO2 emissions and are suitable for the construction of three to six-storey buildings.

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