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A World First: With Hoffmann Green, the VALOREM Group Announces the Pouring of a Wind Turbine Foundation Made Exclusively of 0% Clinker Decarbonated Concrete
CHAILLÉ-SOUS-LES-ORMEAUX, France, June 17, 2024--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Regulatory News:
Hoffmann Green Cement Technologies (Paris:ALHGR):
The VALOREM Group, a pioneering independent producer of green energy in France, and Hoffmann Green Cement Technologies, an industrial player committed to decarbonizing the construction sector by designing and marketing innovative clinker-free cements, announce the pouring of the world's first wind turbine foundation made from 0% clinker decarbonized concrete.
On the site of the Plaine des Moulins wind farm in Jazeneuil (Vienne), the VALOREM Group wanted Hoffmann Green and its partners to achieve a world first: the pouring of a wind turbine foundation using 630 m3 of decarbonated concrete. The use of decarbonated concrete resulted in a saving of 33 tonnes of CO2, i.e. 32% less than with traditional concrete, and this without any change in construction methods.
This achievement is all the more remarkable in that it concerns a very demanding application, where pouring is carried out in a single operation, with a very high density of reinforcement to ensure the durability of this type of structure.
The Plaine des Moulins wind farm will comprise 5 wind turbines, each 180 metres high at the blade tip, with a total installed capacity of 18 MW, and will generate around 42 GWh of green electricity, equivalent to 18.6% of the electricity consumption of the Haut Poitou community. The wind farm is scheduled for commissioning in early 2025.
Baptiste WALYN, Director of VALREA, VALOREM Group's construction subsidiary, underlines: « The VALOREM Group is delighted with this world first. Wind turbine foundations are often the target of misinformation. While steel-reinforced concrete is non-polluting for the soil, and while all wind turbine foundations are removed at the end of the park's life and the concrete recycled, we are also proving today that innovation can significantly reduce their carbon impact on the park's overall carbon footprint. The VALOREM Group is a company with a mission, resolutely committed to reducing all its impacts ».
Julien Blanchard and David Hoffmann, co-founders of Hoffmann Green Cement Technologies, said: "We are very proud to be part of this world premiere: the pouring of the first wind turbine foundation using clinker-free decarbonized concrete. This achievement represents a key milestone for Hoffmann Green and strengthens our position on the wind energy market within the strategic renewable energy sector. This achievement is in line with our partnership signed with Biobuild in October 2022. It will enable us to promote eco-responsible construction methods while guaranteeing the quality of the foundations, as part of our common commitment to the ecological transition."
Under 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 deployed in the medium term.
Many committed players.
Prior to this historic premiere, 5 years of testing were required to assess the performance, durability and safety of H-UKR cement and concrete. The Appréciations Techniques d'Expérimentation (ATEx) issued by the Centre Scientifique et Technique du Bâtiment (CSTB) are the result of this in-depth work, and cover complex technical issues such as dimensioning under heavy load, which is essential for wind turbine foundations.
In addition to the test phase, ongoing technical exchanges have been held with the various partners, from the dimensioning of the wind turbine foundation by CTE Wind to the calibration of the concrete formulation, and the performance of suitability tests and a prototype with the RBS and Lepine TP teams.
Mélaine Besse, Président of BioBuild, also said: «Reducing the carbon footprint of renewable energy projects is essential both for the image of our industries and for the ecological transition overall. As the company responsible for strategic studies and analyses, it was natural for BioBuild to join forces with Hoffmann, with whom we share a common vision in favour of eco-sustainable construction ».
Emmanuel Hamon, Senior site supervisor and Mickaël Leray, Branch Manager at Lépine TP - Groupe Angevin, commented: «The Groupe Angevin is involved in hydraulic civil engineering (waste water, drinking water) and civil engineering structures (PS, PI, small viaducts, wind farms, etc.). We immediately agreed to take part in this sustainable project in order to bring our expertise in the specific techniques required for this kind 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 have been associated with this iconic project in the Grand Ouest region, which promotes environment-friendly construction ».
Eric LEBRE, Sales Director of CHRYSO/GCP added: «The CHRYSO®Enviromix ULC 5500 technology developed specifically for the H-UKR binder enabled RBS - CMGO to ensure quality and consistency of manufacture throughout the duration of the Jazeneuil wind turbine foundation project. Like Hoffmann, we are convinced that innovation has a major role to play in creating the materials of tomorrow ».
Thanh Binh Tran, Technical Director of CTE Wind concluded: «As an engineering and consultancy company specialised in the design of foundations for wind turbines, CTE Wind has designed almost 30,000 foundations for 2,500 wind farms since it was founded. This first project using 0% clinker concrete, which reduces CO2 emissions, represents a strategic turning point in the fast-growing renewable energy market ».
ABOUT HOFFMANN GREEN CEMENT TECHNOLOGIES
Founded in 2014 and based in Bournezeau (Vendée, Western France), Hoffmann Green Cement Technologies designs, produces and distributes innovative extremely low-carbon cements – with a carbon footprint 5 times lower than traditional cement – that present, at equivalent dosage and with no alteration to the concrete manufacturing process, superior performances than traditional cement.
Hoffmann Green operates two production units powered by a solar tracker park on the Bournezeau site: a 4.0 factory and H2, the world's first vertical cement plant inaugurated in May 2023. A third factory will be established at the Grand Port of Dunkirk in 2025, bringing the total production capacity to 550,000 tons per year, representing 3% of the French market. The group has industrialized a genuine technological breakthrough based on modifying cement composition and creating a cold manufacturing process, with 0% clinker and low energy consumption, making it a leading and unique player in the cement market that has not evolved for 200 years.
In a context of climate urgency and energy price inflation, Hoffmann Green Cement actively participates in energy transition by producing clean cement that consumes 10 to 15 times less energy than Portland cement. It also promotes eco-responsible construction and encourages circular economy and natural resource preservation. With its unparalleled and constantly evolving technological expertise, driven by high-performing teams, Hoffmann Green Cement Technologies serves all markets in the construction sector, both in France and internationally. Hoffmann Green was selected among the 2022 promotion of the top 20 French green startups as part of the French Tech Green20 program, led by the French Tech Mission in partnership with the Ministry of Ecological Transition. In June 2023, the company was selected for French Tech 2030, a new ambitious support program operated by the French Tech Mission alongside the General Secretariat for Investment (SGPI) and Bpifrance. The company continues its international development with contract signings in the United Kingdom, Belgium, Switzerland, Saudi Arabia and recently in the United States. For further information, please go to: www.ciments-hoffmann.fr/
ABOUT VALOREM
The VALOREM Group is an independent French operator in the field of green energy, with expertise in the entire process of harnessing renewable energies, from development to operation and maintenance, including project management, construction and auditing services. A wind power pioneer in France, VALOREM employs nearly 500 people and is also present in Finland, Greece, Poland and Sweden. Since its creation in 1994, the group has financed over 837 MW and has a portfolio of 5.7 GW of projects under development. In 2022, its assets generated 1.1 TWh of green electricity.
As a company with a mission, VALOREM's raison d'être is to "harness local energies together, to pave the way for a sustainable future based on solidarity".
VALOREM is certified ISO 9001 - quality, ISO 14001 - environment, and ISO 45001 - occupational health and safety. In 2022, VALOREM was awarded the "Relations Fournisseurs et Achats Responsables" label by the Conseil National des Achats.
