VALDESC: a European benchmark in circular and decarbonised construction

This is VALDESC: a European benchmark project for circular and decarbonised construction

• The VALDESC project will boost more sustainable construction by reducing emissions, promoting a circular economy and generating new employment and training opportunities.
• An initiative funded by the Region of Madrid thanks to EU ERDF funds, with a budget of €6 M for the next 3 years.
• Four lines of technological innovation and 14 new products to digitalise, recover complex CDW, develop decarbonised products and promote sustainable construction systems.

Madrid. 12 February 2025 The VALDESC project “Innovative solutions for the promotion of the recovery of complex CDW and decarbonisation of the construction sector in Madrid” was launched on 22 January in Madrid at the facilities of the Eduardo Torroja Institute of Construction Sciences CSIC-IETcc.

It has received funding from the 2024 Call for applications for grants for projects that boost the improvement of public-private partnerships in R&D&I, through a consortium of the Regional Ministry of Education, Science and Universities of the Region of Madrid, co-funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), within the framework of the Programme of the Region of Madrid 2021-2027. It has a budget of €6m and will run for 3 years, until 2027.

VALDESC is led by SURGE AMBIENTAL, with the participation of VALORIZA, SACYR, MOGENSEN, SIKA, HORMICRUZ, KNAUF, HOLCIM, ADCORE, FORESTBANK and LAYERMD and backed by the TECNALIA research and technological development centre, Eduardo Torroja Institute of Construction Sciences CSIC-IETcc and the IMDEA AGUA Institute.

This project was created to respond to the construction industry’s need to move towards a circular economy, the digitalisation of the entire value chain and the decarbonisation of processes, products and construction systems. It also aims to improve the productivity of the sector by industrialising construction systems, seeking to balance economic and social development and environmental protection.

VALDESC’s aims

The aim is to research and generate new knowledge around new decarbonised and circular processes and products from the closing of cycles, with greater added value, of complex CDW material resources (fine mixed stone, ceramics, mineral wool, gypsum and light waste).

In order to achieve the construction sector’s digitalisation, circular economy, decarbonisation and industrialisation goals and objectives, 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 to recover complex CDW. Research into 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 a smaller carbon footprint, including cement, concrete, additives and fertilisers from sludge and CDW.
• LINE 4: Industrialised construction systems for new façade envelopes. Creation of modular façade solutions with more than 50% recycled materials, designed to facilitate reuse in future life cycles.

Economic, environmental and social benefits

The project aims to create an economic, environmental, and social impact, including:

1) To increase the rates of CDW recovery and lower the amount of recoverable waste going to landfill by estimating a recovery potential of 774,015 tonnes per year of various CDW streams currently going to landfill.

2) Reduce the carbon footprint around the construction sector by around 51,531 tonnes of CO₂ eq per year compared to the baseline situation.

3) Reduce fossil energy consumption, due to the use of Solid Recovered Fuels (SRF) instead of fossil fuels by approximately 10,890 tonnes per year.

4) Create up to 18 jobs by all partners and subcontracted research centres as a result of the development of this project.

5) Economic impact in the region of €8,747,170 per year resulting from using the results and leading to private investment by companies of approximately €3.4m.

6) Re-training of professionals and knowledge generation among construction companies and recovery machines on digital and green technologies.