The Business Finland-funded BioCarbonBuilds project aims to significantly reduce emissions from the built environment by developing novel biochar based construction materials from Finnish industrial sidestreams. Led by VTT and Aalto University, the project brings together research organizations, companies and cities to transform underutilized biomass and waste streams into high volume, low carbon solutions for buildings and infrastructure.
BioCarbonBuilds is a two year co research project coordinated by VTT and Aalto University that focuses on developing carbon negative and low emission construction materials using biochar and other biogenic carbon materials. The project addresses one of Finland’s largest climate challenges: the built environment, which accounts for roughly one third of national greenhouse gas emissions. By replacing part of conventional cement, asphalt and insulation materials with biochar based alternatives, the project aims to reduce emissions while improving material performance.
High impact applications in construction and infrastructure
A key innovation of BioCarbonBuilds is its focus on heterogeneous industrial sidestreams such as biorefinery residues, forestry byproducts, and municipal waste. These materials are currently underutilized due to variability in composition and quality.
“BioCarbonBuilds develops tailored pre treatment and carbonization methods that allow these sidestreams to be safely and effectively used in building materials, creating new value chains for both the bioeconomy and construction sectors”, says Virpi Siipola, Senior Scientist at VTT and Principal Investigator of the project.
The project targets three high volume application areas: cementitious materials, asphalt and road construction, and indoor building products with thermal and acoustic functions. Biochar based concretes and asphalt binders are investigated for their potential to lower carbon footprints, improve durability and, in some cases, store carbon permanently in the built environment. For indoor applications, the project develops biochar based panels and composites that combine sound absorption, thermal insulation and indoor air purification.
Supporting Finland’s climate goals and new regulation
BioCarbonBuilds directly supports Finland’s goal of carbon neutrality by 2035 and responds to the new Finnish Building Act, which requires the carbon footprint of construction materials to be assessed. By providing scientifically validated material data, life cycle assessments and market readiness analyses, the project helps companies and cities adopt low carbon solutions that meet future regulatory and market requirements.
“The built environment offers one of the fastest and most effective ways to reduce the environmental impact of construction. In the BioCarbonBuilds project, we develop new building materials that put less strain on the environment and make use of materials that would otherwise go to waste,” says Siipola.
BioCarbonBuilds is a co research project between VTT and Aalto University with a wide industrial and municipal steering group covering the entire value chain from raw materials to end users.
“The results will open access for Finnish companies especially SMEs (Small and Medium-sized Enterprises) to rapidly growing international markets where demand for low-emission and circular products is increasing. This strengthens Finland’s position as a leader in sustainable construction with a focus on scalable solution related to biocarbon usage in the high-volume construction industry," says Assistant Professor Sanandam Bordoloi, who's leading the project at Aalto.
The project runs from March 2026 to February 2028 and is funded by Business Finland, research organizations and participating companies. Project results will be demonstrated through pilot products, public exhibitions and industrial guidelines supporting future commercialization.
