Puma Energy Bitumen was thrilled to win the Australian Flexible Pavement Association’s (AFPA) National Innovation Award for its ground breaking Carbonbind® Project.
Puma Energy Bitumen’s innovative Carbonbind® product won the national innovation award at the AFPA Conference this week having won the organisation’s regional awards in Victoria and New South Wales earlier in the year.
CarbonBind® is the first bio-based asphalt and sprayed seal binder in Australia and offers an innovative blend of bitumen with a sustainably-grown plant-based component, while maintaining at least equal quality and technical performance. This offers an alternative to conventional products and significantly reduces the overall carbon footprint of bitumen and the asphalt products that contain it.
CarbonBind® is proven to reduce the carbon footprint of bitumen production and use by capturing carbon from the atmosphere and permanently storing it in the road pavement. There are different grades available, but in a typical application, for every ton of CarbonBind® used 150kg of CO2 is sequestered into the road or pavement permenantly.
The carbon footprint reductions were externally verified by means of a robust life cycle assessment, documented in environmental product declarations. The biogenic material is sustainably sourced, in a process certified under the International Sustainability and Carbon Certification (ISCC) system.
Phil Chirnside, Puma Energy General Manager Australia, said:
“We are delighted to have won this award which recognises our commitment to create a sustainable future for the bitumen and asphalt industry through rigorous R&D.
“We are committed to reducing the carbon intensity of our bitumen products; developing novel and sustainable bitumen products with low temperature asphalt additives and bio-based alternatives to fossil-derived bitumen. CarbonBind® is probably the most exciting bridge between legacy technology and the low carbon, high-performing binders of the future.”
CarbonBind® is one of a range of Puma Energy Bitumen products available to help Puma Energy’s customers reduce their carbon footprint. The range also includes our Olexocrumb® product where waste tyres are used to create crumbed rubber modified bitumen. The process not only reduces harmful tyre waste but also provides bitumen that is longer lasting and better for roads. In 2022, Puma Energy Bitumen invested in production facilities to help meet rising demand for this waste rubber modified binders and other speciality products so we can continue to lead in the market. Our new facilities will have the highest production capacity in Australia, with a production method unique to Puma Energy.
