We’re excited to unveil our latest customer project to the world this week: a pedestrian bridge measuring 7 metres long, achieves what was previously considered impossible in structural construction: a fully CO₂-neutral concrete mix containing 75% circular raw materials, with no primary sand or gravel. The concrete easily hit its strength requirements, demonstrating that sustainability does not compromise with structural performance.

In this project, 30% of traditional cement was replaced with carbon-storing Paebbl materials, our highest replacement rate in structural concrete to date. The bridge deck permanently sequesters 66 kg of CO₂ with Paebbl materials.

The project brought together a consortium of sustainability pioneers, which we’re proud to be part of. Heijmans provided the project leadership and construction expertise, HCM Cement supplied the optimised cement formulation, Van der Kamp B.V. managed concrete production, CarStorCon® Technologies contributed biochar integration, Urban Mine provided recycled aggregates and together with Paebbl materials, this have set a new standard for circular, carbon-neutral structural concrete in the Netherlands.

Our very own Ana Luisa Vaz, VP of Products at Paebbl, adds: "A 30% cement replacement rate in structural concrete is our highest to date. This demonstration pedestrian bridge demonstrates that carbon-storing materials aren't just viable for decorative or non-structural uses, they're ready for real infrastructure."

Commenting on the project, Nick Vervoort, Innovation Manager says: "At Heijmans, we believe that innovation in construction must address the climate crisis head-on. This bridge proves that carbon-neutral structural concrete is not a future aspiration, it's achievable today. For the first time, CO₂-neutral concrete has been poured using an innovative mix of materials: Paebbl, biochar and recycled concrete. This demonstrates what collaboration and ambition can achieve.”

Cement production accounts for roughly 8% of global carbon emissions. Most approaches to reducing that footprint focus on incremental improvements: better efficiency, alternative fuels, carbon capture at the kiln. Those matter, but they don't reverse the climate equation.

Our materials do something fundamentally different. By accelerating natural mineralisation processes, we lock CO₂ into stable mineral form instead of emitting it. Every tonne of Paebbl material currently stores around 220 kg of CO₂, replacing up to 30% of cement in concrete mixes, significantly reducing the embodied carbon and the footprint of building materials. This approach allows construction projects to embed carbon within building materials, transforming the built environment from a large emitter into a potential carbon sink.