Goran Kujovic, Sales Director of Lafarge Srbija – Green Concrete is the Future of Construction Industry

The company Lafarge Srbija has already become recognized for the use of green concrete and cement, but that’s not where their ecological story ends. The use of fuels with reduced carbon emissions, as well as the use of energy from renewable sources – are only some of the ambitious “green” plans.

The company’s aim is to fully reorient to vehicles which use alternative fuels instead of fossil ones by the beginning of 2023. They are also testing the possibility of replacing traditional fuels, that is, coal and petrol coke with clean hydrogen as the greenest energy source.

We talked about all this, as well as the readiness of our country and investors for the kind of construction that takes the environment into consideration, with Goran Kujovic, Sales Director of Lafarge Srbija.

The impression is that there has never been more construction activity in Serbia. Is Serbia ready for a transition toward the kind of construction that is less harmful to the environment?

– Since the beginning of the year, construction has been one of the key components of the economic growth of Serbia, as confirmed by the data of the Statistical Office of the Republic of Serbia, which show that the number of the issued building permits in the first quarter of this year is larger by around 35% compared to the same period last year. However, when we are talking about green construction, that is, the readiness of Serbia for a transition toward the kind of construction that is less harmful to the environment, we have to say that it has not yet taken root to the extent that it should have, but there are certainly positive steps forward. Considering that the interest of the investors is increasing, we expect more precise legal regulations to be adopted soon, which is the basic requirement for enabling growth in this sector as well.

Is the fear that recycled materials are of lower quality than non-recycled ones justified?

– If adequate technologies and standards are implemented, recycled materials are not any less good, so the fear of their implementation is absolutely unjustified. In the world, there’s an experience of implementation that is over 50 years long, where, through circular economy, various materials are used as alternative raw materials, preserving natural resources and, with that, the environment as well. Circular economy is a guarantee of sustainable development and the business opportunity of our time. There is no field with a bigger potential for development, which has, unfortunately, not been sufficiently used here so far.

Lafarge Srbija is known for the production of green cement and concrete. How difficult was it to produce green cement and concrete and what is their advantage compared to the regular ones?

– As in standard products, the process of the production of “green” products-cement and concrete requires quality control and monitoring, both of the secondary raw materials and the final products. Later, through stable processing parameters, a consistency in performances is guaranteed.

There are no important differences between traditional, standard products and new, “green” ones, and, on the other hand, care for the environment is put into focus. The advantage of “green” materials over standard ones is reflected in this.

The Lafarge ECO portfolio includes green cement, in both bulk and packaged form, green concrete and infrastructural binders and is designed with the aim of supporting the principles of sustainable building.

When it comes to “green” materials and their introduction to the local market, it is of extraordinary importance to make a clear comparison with traditionally used products, while emphasizing the advantages of these materials.

ECOPact concretes, with their physical-mechanical characteristics (firmness, water-proof quality and resilience), are either comparable or even more advanced than standard concretes, whereas the technological characteristics of fresh ECOPact (being homogenous, easy to build in, cohesive, stable and easy to process) are on the same level as conventional concretes. They are suitable for all reinforced concrete elements, whereas the processes of the production, delivery and installation of “green” concretes is not different from the usual one.

Considering the predictions according to which the annual world production of concrete will grow from the current 4.5 billion tons to as many as 5.5 billion by the middle of XXI century, “green” concretes have a justified role in representing the future in the construction industry and will play one of the most important roles in the transition toward zero-emission construction.

On which big projects in Serbia are Lafarge’s green cement and concrete used?

– So far, the implementation of the ECOPact concrete has proven to be excellent in the construction of industrial complexes, of which here we would like to highlight the tire factory in Indjija and the construction of the logistics-distribution center in Simanovci.

As for residential projects in Belgrade, ECOPact is immediately delivered to several projects which have opted for “green” building, choosing materials for a more humane living and working space, among which are the Belgrade Waterfront project – Libera, Sola and Scala, as well as the residential-office complex New Dorcol.

Our expectations are that the demand for “green” materials in the market will be bigger and bigger, because, in addition to reducing the impact of harmful gases on the environment, these materials also feature improved characteristics when it comes to certain applications.

Do investors in Serbia realize the importance of the implementation of green materials in construction? Why should they choose green materials?

– What’s encouraging is the fact that investors in Serbia increasingly recognize the importance and the advantages of materials with a reduced emission of carbon-dioxide, both for their performances and for the stricter criteria that pertain to the impact of building materials on the environment. Also, the increasingly pronounced presence of foreign investors, who come from areas with adopted green building standards, with expectations that the same will be implemented in our market, will certainly increase the demand for environmentally-friendly products in the coming period.

The question of environmental protection and the climate change impact is one of the most important questions today in the world. Therefore, the recommendation to everyone who designs and builds today in general is that, if they want to improve the state of the living environment, they should choose materials with lower CO2 emissions, because the expected effect can only be achieved by working together. Some of the advantages for investors are also the possibility of applying for projects which are required to meet the certificates of sustainable construction (LEED, BREEAM, DGNB, WELL, EDGE); a facilitated access to “green funds” for financing, a reduction of the costs which are expected following the implementation of the fees for greenhouse gas emissions, the improvement of the company’s image as a socially responsible company.

Holcim Group, within which Lafarge Srbija operates, has obliged to reduce CO2 emissions by 40% by 2030. You also plan to build a solar power plant in Beocin, as well as to switch to vehicles which use alternative fuels instead of fossil ones. Do you have more plans in this field?

– The transformation of the production portfolio is part of the global goal of Holcim Group, within which Lafarge Srbija operates, with an ambitious intention to reduce the impact of the emission of harmful gases to zero by 2050. In addition to the transformation of the portfolio and the further upgrades of the technological process, we also focus on using energy from renewable sources and using fuel with reduced carbon emissions. We have completed the preparation of the project of a solar power plant within the factory complex in Beocin, which will supply power for the production of cement. The total installed power of that power plant will be 8 MW in the first phase, whose finalization is expected by the end of 2022 at the latest, whereas the second phase will potentially have an additional 10 MW. Our goal is also to fully reorient toward vehicles which use alternative fuels – liquefied oil gas, compressed natural gas, liquefied natural gas or electricity, as solutions with a far lower climate impact – instead of the existing fossil fuel (diesel) by the beginning of 2023. We also incite all our partners and transporters to do the same, all to the end of realizing a common goal – to reduce the emission of CO2 we generate through transport by 20% by 2025 at the latest. In order to realize this initiative, we are currently preparing a project for the construction of a CNG station in Beocin, whose capacity will be over 20 trucks an hour, with the plan of the same being operational 24/7 and available to all our transporters. Also, we are looking into the possibility of substituting traditional fuels, that is, coal and petrol coke, with clean hydrogen, as the greenest energy source, whose combustion does not emit CO2, SO2 and NOx, which is why I’m convinced that hydrogen is the future of the cement industry.

What would you say to other companies – does business which honors the environment pay off?

– Environmental protection is a social responsibility and an important factor of every company’s success. No company can solve today’s climate challenges alone, due to which it is necessary to make partnerships so that the effects would be considerable and visible. We are aware of the pioneering role that we have within out industry in Serbia, as the driving force of changes, so we invite and incite all our partners and all other participants to get involved in this process.