A new fossil-free biobased HDPE pipe

Van Kaam BV is a specialist in plastic piping technology. Everything around underground and above-ground infrastructure is their specialty. From the skating rink Thialf in Heerenveen to SnowWorld in Zoetermeer: in all their projects they keep in mind: 'what is the impact of our work on the earth'. Director Bastiaan van Kaam explains: "In 2050 we all have to change. We are depleting the earth. We therefore like to be at the forefront to wake people up: the fossil-free HDPE pipe is a good example of this."

Van Kaam already has several projects to its credit. "Among other things, we deal with drinking water and cooling pipes and thermal storage. In other words, cooling and heating large spaces. We develop everything up to the installation, from then on it's up to the installer," Van Kaam says. His company constructed an ice rink in the scorching heat of Abu Dhabi and our own Thialf Stadium. "If you can cool, you can also heat. This is how we ensure that the stadiums of Real Madrid and the Raveleijn attraction at the Efteling, for example, stay nice and warm." 

Keep innovating

To remain environmentally friendly as well, Van Kaam must continue to innovate. This requires out-of-the-box thinking, something they enjoy doing at Van Kaam: "We have to keep improving, but also the environmental aspect is becoming increasingly important," says Van Kaam. "That is also the reason why today - in cooperation with Hallingplast AS from Norway - we can supply fossil-free HDPE pipes for the Benelux in addition to regular HDPE pipes. Fossil-free pipes means: 100% biobased, i.e. fully circular. These pipes are made from a granulate of frying fat and forestry waste instead of petroleum. Because we work with these substances, the tubes have a smaller carbon footprint. The ISCC has certified the raw material as fully biobased." 

These fossil-free pipes fit well with Van Kaam's vision. "We like to keep innovating in sustainability. We all have to take the sustainable step eventually anyway: so why not start right away? In this way, we hope to get others moving as well."

The company also excels at work speed. "We can deliver within 24 hours and work whenever the customer wants: day or night. For example, the Stedelijk Museum's air conditioners once failed. The result was a leak that affected the paint on paintings. We then went to work at night and in the morning the cooling system was working again." 

Fuse-on pull heads

Van Kaam is also working with new pulling heads for directional drilling. In order to pull a pipe that needs to go under a road or waterway, pull heads are needed. "Our Fuse-on pull heads are made of polyethylene, solid PE 300 to be exact. So the tensile strength is extra high. The heads have sealed eye bolts and a stepped design on the back so they can easily work with different SDR grades."

Futures

Van Kaam is busy further increasing awareness of their fossil-free HDPE products. "Introducing something new to the market takes quite some time, also because this form of HDPE is new to us. But we are confident that a sustainable change is on its way. The fact that we are then at the beginning of something like that makes me proud."