LOEWE funds Kirchheim research project on recycling tarred roads

Science Minister Timon Gremmels visited the project today and handed over a grant agreement: The Hessian Ministry of Science and Research, Art and Culture is funding "NaReTE" with around 472,000 euros. The money comes from funding line 3 of the LOEWE research funding program. It strengthens cooperation between companies and research.

"With 'NaReTE', we are funding a project that addresses key challenges in road construction: sustainability, resource conservation and cost efficiency," said Science Minister Timon Gremmels. "With LOEWE funding line 3, we are offering Hessian companies a reliable, low-threshold and at the same time competitive instrument to benefit from Hesse as a research location. I wish everyone involved every success and a successful collaboration to shape Hesse as a location for innovation in sustainable infrastructure development and to establish and secure modern, contemporary jobs in the region."

At present, road construction waste containing tar ends up in landfill sites or is transported abroad for processing - a cost-intensive and ecologically questionable process. Nationwide, around one billion tons of tar-containing road surfaces are still in use. In Hesse, too, high costs are incurred every year for their removal.

The aim of NaReTE is to sustainably process existing tar-containing asphalt material, remove the carcinogenic pollutants and return it to road construction. As a result, the project reduces landfilling and energy-intensive special treatments and opens up new opportunities for responsible infrastructure development. The focus is on the development of a marketable and efficient recycling process for tar-containing road surfaces.

The scientific director, Prof. Dr.-Ing. Konrad Mollenhauer from the University of Kassel, said: "NaReTE shows how applied research can be used to develop future-oriented solutions for existing infrastructure problems. The recycling of originally tar-containing construction materials creates a win-win situation: formerly problematic waste materials are recycled, new resources are saved and negative environmental impacts are significantly reduced."