Sustainability as a corporate principle
PORR is clearly committed to the circular economy and pursues a strategy based on the principles of ‘Green and Lean’. Among other things, this strategy aims to optimise the use of raw materials and reduce environmental impact. According to the PORR Group's annual report, the amount of recycling across the company reached an impressive 2.8 million tonnes in 2023. Between 2021 and 2023, the amount recycled grew by around 13% annually. One outstanding example is Austria's first gypsum-to-gypsum recycling plant, which was launched in autumn 2023 in collaboration with partners. With a planned annual capacity of 60,000 tonnes, it covers the entire demand in eastern Austria.
Innovative projects and technologies
PORR in Germany also uses mobile recycling plants on construction sites. These minimise transport distances and enable particularly efficient recycling. Another example of innovative projects is active urban mining. This involves the professional dismantling of buildings to recover ‘new’ secondary raw materials. Examples include the dismantling of the RWE power plant in Voerde, North Rhine-Westphalia, and the Vattenfall combined heat and power plant in Wilmersdorf, Berlin. The secondary raw materials are used, among other things, as base layers, backfill, paving bedding or plant substrate.
Urban mining is also becoming increasingly important in building construction projects, as demonstrated by the town hall project in Korbach, Hesse. As part of a neighbourhood-based urban development project, the central area of Korbach with its historic town hall was redesigned. Part of the overall construction project involved the demolition of the town hall extension from the 1970s. The urban mining concept uses the demolished town hall extension as an ‘urban mine’: the mineral demolition materials were processed locally and directly reused in concrete for the new building. This, in turn, will serve as a valuable raw material mine for future generations: all materials were assessed for their recyclability and are being joined in such a way that they can be separated by type during subsequent dismantling or rehabilitation.
The new Recycling Centre Himberg in Austria clearly demonstrates the scale that the recycling of demolition waste has now reached. It is one of the largest recycling plants for construction waste in Austria and can process and reuse up to 700,000 tonnes of demolition waste, bricks and concrete per year. At the Himberg recycling centre, brick and concrete demolition waste as well as mineral construction waste are processed and turned into high-quality recycled products. These products have a wide range of applications in both the industrial and private sectors.
Positive effects and future prospects
The circular economy offers numerous benefits for the construction industry. Recycling building materials not only reduces the demand for primary raw materials, but also lowers CO₂ emissions and waste volumes. The use of recycled materials can also lead to cost savings by reducing transport and disposal costs. Politicians are actively supporting this change, and the European Union has set clear targets for promoting the circular economy in the construction industry.
MSCI rating underpins the initiative
PORR's pioneering role has been confirmed by external ratings. For the fourth time in a row, the construction company achieved a top rating in its sector with an ‘AA’ rating from MSCI. PORR impressively demonstrates how the circular economy can be successfully implemented in the construction industry. Through innovative projects and technologies, the company reduces its environmental impact while achieving economic benefits. The positive effects range from waste reduction and cost savings to an improved carbon footprint. The company is thus a pioneer in the industry and shows that sustainable construction is not only possible but also makes good business sense.
