HEMPANEL

Who is the project aimed at?

The sustainable construction sector, green building companies, insulation material manufacturers and the wider agri-food industry involved in hemp cultivation. It also targets research centres, public administrations with policies promoting the circular economy, and stakeholders interested in energy efficiency and reducing the environmental impact of buildings.

Project objective

To minimise waste by-products from hemp cultivation by creating a pilot industrial plant for manufacturing innovative insulation panels. At the same time, the project aims to improve the energy efficiency of buildings, reduce energy and water consumption during production, and contribute to the circular economy by developing a new composite biomaterial using recycled cardboard fibre as a binder.

Project description

The project focuses on valorising the by-product of hemp cultivation, known as hemp shives, which can account for up to 50% of the plant's weight. This waste is transformed into a thermo-acoustic insulation material with properties similar or superior to those of conventional materials, using recycled cardboard fibre to enhance its circularity and sustainability.

HEMPANEL includes the creation of a pilot plant for panel production, designed to minimise energy and water consumption, as well as waste generation, while reducing the carbon footprint. Technical studies will be carried out to analyse:

• The plant components and parameters that affect the properties of the new material (mixture flowability, curing temperature, energy efficiency and water savings).

• The mechanical, acoustic and thermal properties of the panels.

• The sustainability of the process and the commercial viability of the final product.

The project falls within the strategic priorities of promoting the bioeconomy, sustainable construction and climate change mitigation.

      Funded by: