> Solar panels ensure green energy 

IBF is a large group with many productions facilities spread across the country. It takes a significant amount of energy to keep production going. Every year, we use around 20 million kWh for the production of our concrete, and we dream of being able to cover this consumption with green energy from our own solar panels. Therefore, over the past few years, we have invested in installing solar panels at several of group's factories. We are currently producing close to 2 million kWh annually, and we expect to set up more solar power systems in the future so we can cover a larger portion of our energy consumption.

> Heat pumps replace natural gas boilers

Until a few years ago, natural gas was an important heat source in our factories, but we have now begun to replace natural gas boilers with heat pumps where it is possible and makes sense. There are a few places in our production that require the use of radiant heat to reduce the drying time before concrete products and elements can be demolded. In those cases, natural gas remains the most efficient solution. However, in many other places, it is possible to switch from natural gas to heat pumps, and we are currently in the process of doing so.

> Biofuels keeps us warm 

Several of our buildings are heated using biofuel. The advantage of biofuel is that it is a renewable heat source, and in many cases, the biofuel consists of waste products that would otherwise have ended up as waste. Although the combustion of biofuel releases CO2, the plants or trees used for the biofuel also absorb CO2 from the atmosphere during their growth cycle. This means that, in general, biofuel contributes less to CO2 emissions compared to non-renewable energy sources.

> Process wastewater is reused

Concrete production requires significant amounts of water. Water is added in the mixing of cement, sand, gravel, and additives for concrete, during the curing process to add moisture, and finally in cleaning concrete mixers, pumps, and other equipment after use. However, the wastewater from washing and cleaning equipment can be reused over and over again if effective water collection systems are established. We are in the process of doing this at a number of factories, where we recycle the water back into production, where it is either used directly in new concrete production or reused for cleaning purposes.

> Surplus concrete is reused

As with any other business, there is also waste in our production. This can be concrete products discarded due to cosmetic defects or leftover concrete from production. however, we ensure that as little concrete as possible goes to waste. We are permitted to crush surplus concrete and used concrete at a number of our factories. The crushed concrete is either used to cast silo blocks that resemble large Lego blocks, which can be used, for example, to divide a large space into smaller rooms. Or the crushed concrete is mixed directly into new concrete production, thus replacing sand and gravel in the new concrete. We crush and recycle about 50,000 tons of concrete annually.

> Electrification of the fleet

Over the next 10 years, we face a gradual replacement of our fleet of trucks and lorries. We have already replaced some trucks with electric trucks, and there is no doubt that we will need to replace many more trucks with more environmentally friendly alternatives in the future. It will also not be long before we need to start investing in new lorries that run on more environmentally friendly alternatives than diesel. This is a major investment that awaits, and it requires the infrastructure and range of the lorries to improve before we can really embark on this new adventure. However, we are already starting to explore the possibilities so we can ensure that we can continue to deliver concrete on time in the future - but with fewer CO2 emissions.