Hoffmann Green and the VALOREM Group announce the pouring of the foundation for a wind turbine made of clinker concrete 0%

At the Plaine des Moulins wind farm in Jazeneuil (Vienna), the VALOREM Group worked with Hoffmann Green and its partners to achieve a world first: pouring the foundation of a wind turbine using 630 m³ from decarbonized concrete. The use of decarbonized concrete meant that 33 t of CO₂ savings, i.e. 32% less than in the case of traditional concrete, and all this without changing construction methods.

This is a great achievement considering the demanding nature of the application, where pouring takes place in one operation, with a very high reinforcement density, ensuring the durability of this type of structure.

The Plaine des Moulins wind farm will consist of five wind turbines, each 180 m high at the blade tip, with a total installed capacity of 18 MW and will produce approximately 42 GWh of green electricity, equivalent to 18.6% of the electricity consumption of the Community plant Haut Poitou. The wind farm is scheduled to be launched in early 2025.

Baptiste WALYN, director of VALREA, the construction subsidiary of the VALOREM Group, emphasizes: “The VALOREM Group is delighted with this first in the world. Wind turbine foundations are often the target of misinformation. Although reinforced concrete does not pollute the soil, and at the same time all wind turbine foundations are removed at the end of the park’s life and the concrete is recycled, today we are also proving that innovations can significantly reduce their carbon impact on the park’s overall carbon footprint. The VALOREM Group is a company with a mission, firmly committed to limiting all its effects.”

Julien Blanchard and David Hoffmann, co-founders of Hoffmann Green Cement Technologies, said: “We are very proud to be the first in the world to be part of: pouring the first wind turbine foundation using clinker-free, decarbonized concrete. This achievement represents a key milestone for Hoffmann Green and strengthens our position in the wind energy market in the strategic renewable energy sector. This achievement is part of our partnership signed with Biobuild in October 2022. This will enable us to promote green construction methods while ensuring the quality of foundations, as part of our shared commitment to the ecological transition.

According to the Energy and Climate Act, France aims to achieve a 33% share of renewable energy in gross final energy consumption by 2030. The renewable energy market therefore represents a key growth potential in which Hoffmann Green intends to strengthen its position. In the wind energy market segment, almost 300 projects are expected to be implemented in the medium term.

Many committed players

Before this historic launch, it took five years of testing to evaluate the performance, durability and safety of H-UKR cement and concrete. The Appréciations Techniques d’Expérimentation (ATEx) issued by the Center Scientifique et Technique du Bâtiment (CSTB) are the result of this in-depth work and cover complex technical issues such as dimensioning under heavy loads, which is necessary for wind turbine foundations.

In addition to the test phase, constant technical exchanges were carried out with various partners, from the dimensioning of the wind turbine foundation by CTE Wind to the calibration of the concrete recipe and the execution of suitability and prototype tests with RBS and the Lepine TP teams.

Mélaine Besse, CEO of BioBuild, explained: “Reducing the carbon footprint of renewable energy projects is essential both for the image of our industry and for the overall ecological transition. As a company responsible for strategic research and analysis, it was natural for BioBuild to join forces with Hoffmann, with whom we share a common vision for ecological and sustainable construction.”

Emmanuel Hamon, Senior Construction Manager, and Mickaël Leray, Branch Manager at Lépine TP – Groupe Angevin, comment: “The Angevin Group is engaged in hydraulic civil engineering (wastewater, drinking water) and civil engineering structures (PS, PI, small viaducts, wind farms, etc.) .). We immediately agreed to take part in this sustainable project to contribute our expertise in the specific techniques required for this type of project.

Frédéric Limouzin, Concrete Sector Manager at RBS – CMGO, stated: “The core business of Carrières et Matériaux du Grand Ouest (CMGO) is the operation of quarries and concrete plants, as well as the production, recovery, recycling and sale of sand and gravel. As the first link in the construction chain, we are delighted to collaborate with this iconic project in the Grand Ouest region that promotes environmentally friendly construction.

Eric LEBRE, sales director of CHRYSO/GCP added: “CHRYSO^®Enviromix ULC 5500 technology developed specifically for the H-UKR binder enabled RBS – CMGO to ensure quality and consistency of production throughout the Jazeneuil wind turbine foundation project. Like Hoffmann, we believe that innovation plays a central role in creating the materials of tomorrow.”

Thanh Binh Tran, CTE Wind technical director, concluded: “As an engineering and consulting company specializing in wind turbine foundation design, CTE Wind has designed nearly 30,000 foundations for 2,500 wind farms since its establishment. This is the first project using 0% clinker concrete, which reduces CO emissions₂ emissions, represents a strategic turning point in the rapidly growing renewable energy market.”

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Read the article online at: https://www.worldcement.com/europe-cis/17062024/hoffmann-green-and-the-valorem-group-announce-the-pouring-of-a-wind-turbine-foundation- made of-0-clinker concrete/