German Sustainability Award nominates CO2-negative Pirrouet façade block

The DNP honours exemplary sustainability achievements in business, research and at municipal level. The DNP is the largest award of its kind in Europe and has been presented by the German Sustainability Award Foundation for the 17th time since 2008.

Unique: Façade brick absorbs carbon dioxide

Pirrouet is the first CO2-negative facing brick on the market. Thanks to the new, unique technology, Vandersanden absorbs a total of 2,280 tonnes of CO2 per year from the atmosphere during the production of Pirrouet® at full production capacity and permanently binds the greenhouse gas. This is equivalent to the annual CO2 absorption of 114,000 mature trees.

In September 2024, Vandersanden, the largest family-run brick manufacturer in Europe, opened its first Pirrouet plant in Lanklaar, Belgium. Vandersanden invested a total of 32.5 million euros in the plant. At full capacity, the plant produces 20 million of the CO2-negative Pirrouet façade bricks per year. Johan Deburchgrave, CEO of Vandersanden: "One tonne of Pirrouet absorbs 60 kilograms of carbon dioxide during the curing phase. And another highlight in the production of the innovative bricks is that we run the entire production process on one hundred per cent renewable energy from photovoltaics and our own wind turbine."

The judges of the German Sustainability Award have now duly recognised Vandersanden's efforts for our climate by naming it a finalist in the climate category. "We are delighted to have made it to the final," says CEO Deburchgrave. "Taking part in this high-calibre event is an accolade for us. We are thrilled that our efforts for a healthy climate have been recognised at this level and are looking forward to the big awards ceremony in Düsseldorf in November."

Vandersanden also presents Pirrouet at the Berlin Climate Festival in November

One week before the presentation of the German Sustainability Award, the Heinze Climate Festival takes place in Berlin. Here, visitors can do more than just look at the CO2-negative façade tiles. They will also be able to touch Pirrouet live to experience how natural and unique the products are. Vandersanden CEO Deburchgrave: "The Climate Festival is an ideal platform for all sustainability pioneers. The focus is on our responsibility, especially in the construction industry, to drive forward transformation processes that protect the environment and resources in the best possible way. Pirrouet brings us a decisive step closer to our goals of CO2 neutrality. We are delighted to be able to present Pirrouet to German architects on this podium and are looking forward to the feedback."

About the German Sustainability Award

The German Sustainability Award is the national award for excellence in sustainability in all sectors. With six competitions, including the first for health, over 1,300 applicants and 3,000 guests at the events, the award is the largest of its kind in Europe. The award is presented by the Stiftung Deutscher Nachhaltigkeitspreis e.V. (German Sustainability Award Foundation) in cooperation with the German government, leading municipal associations, business associations, civil society organisations and research institutions. The award ceremony is held at the German Sustainability Day in Düsseldorf, the most visited annual communication platform on the subject of sustainable development.

About Pirrouet

Pirrouet is the first CO2-negative and recyclable cladding brick on the market. In the production of Pirrouet, CO2 from the atmosphere forms a chemical compound with calcium-containing materials of purified mineral residues from the steel industry. This combination produces our very robust facing bricks. During the production process, 60 kg of CO2 per tonne of Pirrouet is absorbed and permanently bound in the brick.

This process, known as carbonation, in which calcium-containing materials (Ca) react with carbon dioxide (CO2) to form calcium carbonate (CaCO3). Calcium carbonate is found in nature all over the world and is an important factor in natural CO2 storage.

As we produce Pirrouet from up to 80 per cent residual materials from the steel industry (Carbinox and Stinox), we only need around 20 per cent primary raw materials such as sand, water and dyes, thus significantly reducing the amount of waste. Further information: www.vandersanden.com/de-de/pirrouet

Vandersanden, the largest family-run brick manufacturer in Europe

Sustainable production, expertise and innovation in brick production are at the forefront of the Vandersanden family business. Vandersanden offers brick products for the planning and realisation of buildings, gardens, parks and road construction. The "Vandersanden family" consists of over 800 employees in Belgium, the Netherlands, France, Germany and the United Kingdom. With a total of nine production sites for facing bricks and clinker bricks, pavers, brick slips and insulated façade systems, Vandersanden is the largest family-run brick producer in Europe.

Vandersanden also offers fully integrated solutions, such as RoboBrick and Drainflow, to meet today's challenges in the construction sector.

With the sustainability programme Together to Zero, the pledge to produce and operate completely carbon neutral by 2050, the brick manufacturer is reaching out to other stakeholders to work together to become carbon neutral.

Vandersanden produces over 600 million bricks per year for the European market and far beyond. The brick expert is not only the market leader for hand-moulded facing bricks in Belgium and Germany, but also for the paving brick segment in the Netherlands.

Vandersanden brick production in the Belgian and Dutch plants operates according to the environmental management standard ISO 14001 and the plant in Upper Lusatia according to ISO 50001.

Jaak Vandersanden founded the traditional Vandersanden brickworks in 1925 in Spouwen (Bilzen), Belgium, not far from the German border. The brick manufacturer's headquarters are still located there today.