Troldtekt® based on FUTURECEM™ nominated for German Sustainability Award

The new Troldtekt acoustic panels based on the cement type FUTURECEM™ are in the running for the prestigious German Sustainability Award 2023. The winners will be announced at an awards ceremony in December, where German Chancellor Olaf Scholz will be guest of honour.

25.08.2022

The German Sustainability Award (GSA) is – according to the organisations behind it – Europe's most important award for ecological and social commitment. In 2023, the new Troldtekt acoustic panels based on the cement type FUTURECEM have been nominated in the ‘Design’ category.

The new acoustic panels have a significantly lower carbon footprint than Troldtekt based on traditional cement, which has been verified by the German Institut Bauen und Umwelt e.V. (IBU). The acoustic panels have also been Cradle to Cradle-certified at Gold level.

“The German Sustainability Award is the highest honour we can receive on the German market. In fact, the nomination alone is a huge pat on the back, which we’re incredibly proud of,” says Tina Snedker Kristensen, Head of Sustainability and Communications at Troldtekt A/S.

“Troldtekt based on FUTURECEM is a tangible result of our strategic focus on sustainability and the Cradle to Cradle principles for more than a decade,” she adds.

Awards ceremony with Chancellor as guest of honour

Since 2008, the German Sustainability Award has been presented by Stiftung Deutscher Nachhaltigkeitspreis e.V. in cooperation with, among others, the Federal Cabinet of Germany. In 2022, companies have been nominated in six categories, including the Design category, where Troldtekt is nominated.

An expert jury will select the winners, who will be announced at a grand awards ceremony on 1-2 December 2022 in Düsseldorf, to be attended by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz as guest of honour.

Energy from renewable sources

The special thing about the nominated Troldtekt acoustic panels is the cement used in their manufacture. The patented cement type FUTURECEM from Aalborg Portland exploits the synergies between calcined clay and limestone filler, and has an approx. 30 per cent lower carbon footprint than traditional cement.

Troldtekt based on FUTURECEM has a carbon footprint that is 26 and 38 per cent lower than the carbon footprints of Troldtekt based on grey and white cement, respectively, measured throughout the entire life cycle of the acoustic panels. Almost all the energy – 97.8 per cent – consumed at Troldtekt’s own factory comes from renewable sources.

“We’ve succeeded in launching a product that has retained its natural strength and high fire safety properties from the cement, but which also has a significantly reduced carbon footprint,” says Tina Snedker Kristensen.

Beneficial for both people and the environment

Troldtekt is certified according to the leading standards for responsible forestry management – PEFC™ and FSC®C115450 – and all the wood in the acoustic panels comes from certified forests.

“At the same time, our Cradle to Cradle certification is documentation that the panels do not contain any substances that are harmful to humans or the environment. In this way, Troldtekt acoustic panels contribute to both a healthy indoor climate and a low carbon footprint in buildings, while being recyclable at the end of their useful lives,” says Tina Snedker Kristensen.

Troldtekt is looking at various recycling methods to ensure that as little of the embedded CO₂ as possible is released during incineration when the acoustic panels finally reach the end of their useful lives after min. 50-70 years. In fact, offcuts from Troldtekt’s factory are already being used in the production of new cement at Aalborg Portland. A pilot project will establish how this scheme can be scaled up to also include cement-bonded wood wool waste from the demolition of buildings.