Benninghoven, a leading German manufacturer of asphalt mixing plants, says its new patented and pioneering technology, the Revoc system, has been nominated for the 2022 bauma innovation award in the “Climate Protection” category.

The Revoc system is a technology for reducing the output of greenhouse gases from asphalt mixing plants. In addition to reducing carbon dioxide (CO2), it can reduce the total carbon emissions by as much as 50 per cent, says the company, which is part of Wirtgen Mineral Technologies. The innovative recycling system can meet or even stay below the increasingly more stringent emissions limits in asphalt production, it adds.

“More new roads are being refurbished than built, generating accordingly large volumes of reclaimed asphalt,” says a spokesman for Benninghoven. “At the same time, asphalt mixing plant owners are faced with the challenge of complying with the limit values for asphalt production that have become more stringent in many regions worldwide. The requirements are increasingly moving towards using the largest possible amount of added recycling materials, not only with sustainability in mind. It is also economically viable because reclaimed asphalt is much cheaper than other aggregates.”

Reclaimed asphalt can currently be added to the production process using reliable cold and hot recycling technologies, according to the spokesman. “This, however, results in higher total carbon emissions (Ctot). When reclaimed asphalt is heated, part of the Ctot concentration volatilises from the bitumen in the recycling material. Ctot has a higher greenhouse potential than CO2 and is hazardous to health in higher concentrations. The higher the recycling rate, however, the less fresh bitumen is required and the lower the carbon footprint. Increasing the recycling material from 40 per cent to 60 per cent alone can save approximately 440 tonnes of CO2 per year.”

 In the past, it was practically impossible to resolve the conflicting objectives of meeting high recycling rates for reclaimed asphalt while protecting the climate. Thanks to the powerful Revoc system, the two aspects can now be consolidated: reducing Ctot emissions by up to 50 per cent and implementing higher recycling rates of up to 60 per cent.

The presentation of the bauma Innovation Award will take place on October 23, the eve of the opening of the trade fair in Munich, Germany.