As a farmer, what do you do with leftover straw? Turn it into insulation material, Biobuilder reasons. The company developed a special robot for it. "Think of it as an extra source of income, like cheese is or the farm campsite."
Nitrogen needlessly pits farmers and builders against each other. As if politicians don't want to see that the most logical solution for both sectors is "biobased building" already at hand. That gives builders the chance to build emission-free, and farmers the chance to switch to other crops....
It's a thorn in Rembert van Noort and Henk van Kuijk's side. About three years ago, they founded BioBuilder, a start-up that aims to connect the agriculture and construction sectors precisely. "There are challenges in both sectors and together they can meet them," says Van Noort. He has a background in agriculture and a large network in the agricultural sector.
His colleague Van Kuijk is a machine builder and works a lot for construction and infra. They decided to join forces and developed a robotized production process: farmers make biobased elements from plant residues, which builders can use to build quickly and emission-free.
Companies that are already doing wood-frame construction are, in principle, quite willing to switch from mineral wool (whose production process is very polluting) to biobased materials for their insulation, Van Noort knows. "There are, but they generally find it difficult to fit such materials into their process."
According to the report, "Building within planetary boundaries: CO₂ impact of Dutch construction' there may be a carbon lock on construction in 2027. The only way to still continue building then is to use bio-based materials. "Industrialization is increasing, while there is less nitrogen space," argues Rembert van Noort.
"Also, the labor market is very tight. That's where a number of problems come together. If they have to extensify, they can switch to growing crops that serve as feedstock for biobased, vapor-permeable building materials. With prefab biobased building materials, the construction industry can move forward faster and emission-free. So we kill several birds with one stone with BioBuilder."
Vegetable cultivation
Nitrogen is also a thorny issue for farmers. "There's a lot of talk about downsizing livestock, but please focus on crop production," Van Noort says. "Certain crops reduce nitrogen pressure because they need less fertilizer and fewer pesticides. In fields bordering Natura 2000 areas, a perennial, fast-growing crop like miscanthus is then interesting and very useful for biobased materials. It seems to me that the awareness among farmers is already somewhat more developed. Precisely because they are entrepreneurs, and moreover often family businesses, they are always thinking about the future. Builders generally stick more to traditions, but they too have to deal with changing circumstances. The great thing is that they farmers and builders can help each other move forward and we bring those two worlds together."
Just like making cheese
A farm business is often in the family for generations. Transferring it requires a sound financial base. "The production of bio-based building elements can make a nice contribution to that," Van Noort said. "We do that in the farmyard. The farmer grows grain and uses a robot to process the residual straw into prefabricated elements. He then supplies the panels as semi-finished products to construction companies."
SIP element
The pair developed a robotic production system. Van Noort explains the principle: "The farmer will process his own straw (or other material), but can also buy straw from farmers in the region. He does need some space and will have to perform some operations, but otherwise the robot does the work; it makes the element out of recycled sheet material and fills the chambers with compressed straw. The semi-finished product is a SIP (Structural Insulated Panel) element that more than meets the latest requirements of the Building Code for dwellings in terms of insulation value."
The farmer supplies elements in the standard size of 1.20 wide and 2.80 high. At a later stage, cutouts for windows and doors can be made in them. The farmer leases the robot from BioBuilder and produces within the concept that Van Kuijk and Van Noort developed. "For the farmer it is relatively simple, because he only makes one product," says Van Noort. "We take care of the marketing toward the construction industry. The elements are connected together by means of uprights and beams, creating a facade, floor or roof in no time. For construction companies that build many serial houses, this is a godsend. It is also excellent for utility construction, which often involves large areas."
Steering more biobased
For now, BioBuilder's men are focusing on straw, which is a residual stream from grain farming. "But," says Van Noort, "in consultation with Building Balance, we are also doing tests with reeds, cattail and elephant grass. We are now in the process of getting the compressed straw certified, and the next step is for the elements to receive BRL certification. We find that our concept is catching on. Both farmers and builders are interested, initiatives like the Building Balance program and the National Approach to Biobased Building are driving this transition, and housing corporations are also indicating that they want to steer more towards biobased. We realize very well that supply and demand must be well matched. Because in our concept the production process is robotized, it can easily be scaled up. If we assume annual shifts of about 15 hours, that yields prefabricated building elements for about 1,000 homes. With that, you can build a lot of facades, floors and roofs. Some people still say that biobased building materials are expensive. But precisely by industrializing the manufacturing process and producing a lot of them, it remains affordable."
The big question, of course, is when this "little train will start running. As soon as possible, the two hope, and they see requests for information increasing. "We are also increasingly asked to share our story at trade shows. Yes, we are convinced that this can be a success. It helps farmers toward more extensive cultivation and is an additional source of income for them. Like there are farmers who make cheese, or who partly set up their property as a farm campsite or as a care farm."
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