Kiilto and Betolar launch the development of a low-carbon floor screed

“This is a revolutionary step forward on our journey towards environmental leadership in our industry. In terms of production volume, floor screeds are one of the largest areas of Kiilto's construction business, so through cooperation we can significantly reduce construction carbon dioxide emissions both in Finland and in our other operating countries in Northern and Eastern Europe. Our goal is to utilise the research information accumulated in this demanding product development work also in developing our other cement-bonded products to be more environmentally friendly,” says Miikka Haapa-aho, Construction Business Area Director at Kiilto.

Betolar has developed low-carbon Geoprime_® technology to replace cement in cement-based construction materials. The technology utilises material side streams from various industries as binders and aggregates for construction materials.

“We have implemented successful material technology solutions for the concrete industry, for example, for the production of environmentally friendly paving stones. The demanding product groups of fine chemistry are very interesting, as a low-carbon solution like Geoprime_® has not previously been utilised in coatings”, says Juha Leppänen, the Founder of Betolar, who is responsible for Betolar's innovation development.

Both companies have strong product development expertise based on scientific research. Utilising the Geoprime_® solution does not require new production lines, which speeds up the commercialisation of the solutions. 

"Floor screeds account for a marginal share of total CO₂ emissions from construction projects, but the reduction in emissions within the product group is significant. The improvement in environmental impact implemented in one product group can later be extended to other products with the same chemical base,” says Haapa-aho.

Geoprime_® solutions utilise extensive research data from different side streams. Betolar's business is to produce recipes for the needs of the construction materials industry, which do not require significant changes to existing production processes. In the production process, binders and aggregates can be replaced by materials from industrial side streams.

“Significant environmental benefits arise in two ways. Firstly, replacing cement with materials from industrial side streams will drastically cut CO₂ emissions from the raw material, to as much as one-fifth of current levels. Secondly, the use of side streams in the production of construction materials significantly reduces the use of virgin natural resources”, says Juha Leppänen.

Kiilto in short

Kiilto is a growing, family-owned company, with over a hundred-year history and a vision looking ahead to 2080. Kiilto develops, manufactures and sells chemical industry solutions in four business areas: construction, industrial adhesives and fireproofing, professional hygiene and consumer goods. The core ideas of the operations of Kiilto are environmental leadership, achieving goals together and commitment to the future. Kiilto operates in 11 countries and employs around 1,000 innovative professionals. In 2020, Kiilto's net sales were approximately EUR 294 million. www.kiilto.fi

Betolar in short

Betolar is a Finnish materials technology company that offers sustainable and low-carbon concrete production with Geoprime_®. The solution converts several previously unused high-volume industrial side streams into a substitute for cement.

Betolar's AI-optimised innovation can significantly reduce CO₂ emissions at a competitive cost compared to conventional cement-based concrete manufacturing, leveraging the existing manufacturing processes. Betolar’s mission is to enable the green transformation of various industries globally, especially in the construction, process and energy industries by providing solutions to utilise its unique materials technology.

Betolar was founded in 2016 and is headquartered in Kannonkoski, Finland.