There are numerous sources of CO2e emissions on an HMA jobsite that must be considered in order to evaluate its carbon footprint. This carbon balance must take into account all that revolves around the project (cf. next page’s diagram):
1. HMA production.
2. Bitumen production + transport.
3. Aggregates production + transport.
4. Fuel production + transport.
5. Electricity generation.
6. Transportation logistics between asphalt plant and jobsite.
7. Road milling.
8. HMA application.
It is expressed in tons of CO2 equivalent (CO2e), unit created by the IPPC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) to compare different greenhouse gases impacts in terms of global warming and in order to accumulate their emissions.
ERMONT has always developed new solutions to match constantly evolving environmental requirements. Here are ERMONT’s solutions to improve HMA jobsites’ carbon footprint significantly by taking action on all sources of CO2e emissions listed above (except road milling and HMA application, which are out of ERMONT’s solutions impact).
Decarbonisation Diagram
RECYCLING
ERMONT offers a full range of recycling processes, which have been developed over a period of almost 50 years and which allow for a recycling rate of up to 100% RAP. This unrivalled experience allows ERMONT to provide suitable solutions to all its customers’ recycling needs.
The use of RAP from road milling proportionally decreases raw materials (bitumen & aggregates) required for HMA production. CO2e emissions linked to the production processes of these raw materials are thereby directly and proportionally decreased.
EXTREME MOBILITY
ERMONT supermobile and supertransferable concepts are strategic solutions allowing for the maximum reduction of transportation logistics between HMA production site and application site.
No concrete foundations, crane-less erection and on-board interfaces are just a few examples of the advantages of these concepts. Through the regular developments carried out over more than 30 years in close cooperation with all its customers, ERMONT has been able to develop different supermobile and supertransferable asphalt plant ranges capable of accessing any jobsite, even the most inaccessible ones, with no geographical limits.
These mobility concepts allow ERMONT’s customers to transfer their production facility depending on projects localisations, in order to get as close as possible to the jobsite, and thereby reducing travelling distances for the trucks that transport HMA to the application site and RAP to the production site. To decrease material transportation in this way is to divide associated CO2e emissions by three (on average).
Moreover, the implementation of a “circular” transportation logistics allow to fully optimise trucks’ trips for HMA transportation to the application site (outward trip) and milled RAP transportation to the production site (homeward trip). CO2e emissions linked to RAP transportation are thereby reduced by 82%.
ECO-ENERGY
ERMONT offers high-energy-efficiency and low-carbon multi-fuel solutions.
To optimise and guarantee the lowest energy consumptions both from a thermal (aggregates heating) and electrical (motors, hot-temperature maintenance, etc.) point of view, is achieved through:
• Asphalt plant optimal performance.
• Possibility to produce warm-mix that needs less energy.
• Reduced and optimal installed electric power on the asphalt plant.
• State-of-the-art SOFTMIX automation to manage and optimise consumptions in real time.
• High-energy-efficiency binder storage tanks.
• Insulation on every hot zones of the asphalt plant to reduce thermal losses.
ERMONT’s asphalt plants also enable the use of renewable biofuels. Indeed, CO2e emissions associated to the drying process depend on the origin and the type of fuel used on the facility. ERMONT’s burners are designed to be compatible with all kinds of fuels, including 100%-renewable-carbon biofuels (neutrality at the combustion), effective and sustainable alternatives to
oil resources, guaranteeing the lowest CO2e emissions (if not non-existent).
All of these solutions make it possible to significantly decrease CO2e emissions on an HMA jobsite. The difference in terms of emissions between a jobsite A using none of ERMONT’s solutions and a jobsite B using them all, can amount to -80%
For more information, please contact:
Thierry De Sars, Development & Communication Director
+33 (0)6 74 58 51 72
t.desars@marini-ermont.fayat.com