New York-based Penetron develops concrete solutions to reduce carbon footprint of buildings and infrastructure in Hong Kong and China
- Penetron’s products can be used directly in the concrete mixture or applied to the surface of existing concrete infrastructures
- Reducing the consumption of concrete is a big factor in global decarbonisation efforts, as its production is highly carbon-intensive
New York-based Penetron has developed a system that can lengthen the service life of concrete and reduce the carbon footprint of buildings, and it has already been used in property and infrastructure projects in Hong Kong and mainland China.
The concrete-protecting solution can reduce the carbon footprint of structures by up to 65 per cent, mainly through doubling the service life of the building as well as reducing the amount of cement used in the structure, said Florian Klouda, the firm’s director of international account coordination, in an interview.
Penetron’s products can be used directly in the concrete mixture or applied to the surface of existing concrete infrastructures to lengthen its lifespan, make it waterproof and reduce the amount of cement used, said Klouda. This can also save costs and reduce carbon emissions due to less maintenance work being needed for buildings, he added.
“China is very important for us. It’s a country that has in recent years heavily invested in its infrastructure, even before the pandemic,” said Klouda. “There’s obviously very big potential in reducing the cement content of mixes in China.”
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10-storey residential building in China constructed in a day
Reducing the consumption of concrete is a big factor in decarbonisation efforts, as its production is highly carbon-intensive. The production of concrete accounts for around 8 per cent of the world’s carbon dioxide emissions, according to London-based think tank Chatham House.