Objective

Research and generate new knowledge related to new decarbonised and circular processes and products from the closing of cycles, with higher added value, of complex construction and demolition waste material resources (CDW) (fine mixed stone, ceramics, mineral wool, gypsum and lightweight).

General activities

In order to achieve the goals and objectives of the construction sector in terms of Digitalisation, Circular Economy, Decarbonisation and Industrialisation, VALDESC will address the research and development of 14 new products or processes grouped into 4 lines of action:

• LINE 1: Digital Technologies. Development of advanced interconnected digital solutions to improve the purity and value of recycled materials in new products and processes.
• LINE 2: New Processes for the recovery of complex CDW. Research on technologies to recover quality materials from complex CDW, including densimetric separation, accelerated carbonation and treatment of light waste for alternative fuels.
• LINE 3: New decarbonised products. Development of products with more than 30% recycled material and lower carbon footprint, including cement, concrete, additives and fertilisers from sludge and CDW.
• LINE 4: Industrialised building systems for new façade envelopes. Creation of modular façade solutions with more than 50% recycled materials, designed to facilitate reuse in future life cycles.

Expected impact

The project will have an economic, environmental and social impact in the following aspects:

1) Increase the rates of recovery of CDW and reduction of landfill of recoverable waste by estimating a potential for recovery of 774,015 t/year of different streams of CDW that are currently destined for landfill;

2) Reducing the carbon footprint around the construction sector by around 51,531 t CO2 eq./year compared to the baseline situation;

3) Reduce fossil energy consumption, due to the use of Solid Recovered Fuels ‘SRF’ instead of fossil fuel by approximately 10,890 t/year.

4) Creation of up to 18 jobs by all partners and subcontracted research centres as a consequence of the development of this project;

5) Economic impact in the region of 8,747,170 €/year/year as a result of the exploitation of the results and inducing a private investment by companies of approximately 3.4 million euros;

6) Retraining of professionals and generation of knowledge among construction companies and recovery machinery around digital and green technologies.

The project VALDESC “Innovative solutions for the promotion of the VALorization of complex CDW and the decarbonization of the construction sector in the CAM.“ has been subsidized through the Call for Proposals 2024 of grants to contribute to the improvement of Public-Private Cooperation in R&D&I through projects with a tractor effect in consortium, co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund as part of the ERDF Operational Program for the the ERDF Operational Program of the Community of Madrid for the period 2021-2027.