Fossil-free HDPE pipes: it really exists!

A real first at Van Kaam. The specialist in underground infrastructure can now also supply HDPE pipes in a fossil-free version: 100% biobased, i.e. fully circular. The first project, immediately accounting for 20 kilometers of biobased pipes, has already been written. And the counter is rapidly increasing. The fossil-free pipe is also extremely suitable for HDD drilling.

Fossil-free HDPE granulate has been around for a long time and is widely used in the food industry. A few years ago, the same producer discovered that you can also use the granulate to produce pipes. And that has not gone unnoticed by 'sleuth' Bastiaan van Kaam either. "For many years, we have been working on making our supply more sustainable, but this scoop exceeds our wildest expectations." And not only at Van Kaam, his 'launching customer' is also lyrical. 

100% virgin

First, let's dive into the technology. HDPE is normally made from Naphtha, a petroleum product. "With the global scarcity of petroleum, the production of HDPE from Naphtha is also in jeopardy. One outcome is biobased HDPE. In fact, scientific research has shown that you can make biodiesel from frying oil and forestry waste. From this fuel is extracted Naphtha, the basis for the HDPE granulate. This granulate is ISCC certified by a third party, so the granulate can always be traced to its origin." Are you there yet? In any case, the end result is fossil-free HDPE with exactly the same properties and tensile strength as regular petroleum-derived HDPE granulate. The only difference is the method of oil extraction. "For the production of the pipes, it also makes no difference whether fossil-free or regular HDPE is used. It is even possible to mix a petroleum product with the biobased product in a certain ratio, should that be desirable (price-wise). The quality does not change, the material is always 100% virgin. In doing so, we only produce PE100 RC pipes from this granulate."

Perfect testing ground

Van Kaam has now acquired the exclusive rights for the Benelux. Through a post on LinkedIn a few months ago, he shook up the market with a sneak preview of the fossil-free HDPE. "Three minutes later I received a call from a customer. He was working on a project, which already requested in the call for tenders to work with renewable raw materials as much as possible. A perfect 'testing ground' for biobased HDPE. And indeed, after some discussions back and forth, also with the producer, the decision has now been made. The customer is absolutely lyrical. Applying a biobased HDPE pipe results in a saving of 117% of CO₂ per kilogram. The savings are huge, especially in this project for which we got to supply 20 kilometers of biobased HDPE pipe." 

So from now on, Van Kaam is offering both the petroleum product and the biobased version in all inquiries. The fossil-free HDPE casing tubes are available in diameters from 20 to 2,000mm. Don't think in problems, think in solutions!