Orlen’s Research and Development Centre and the Gdansk University of Technology have developed a new ecological asphalt that reduces harmful substances from car exhaust fumes and heating installations. Laboratory tests confirmed the effectiveness of the new material.

“We are reaching for our own innovative solutions to help reduce smog from car exhaust fumes. Our new ecological asphalt is such a technology. It was developed at the Faculty of Chemistry of the Gdańsk University of Technology in cooperation with the ORLEN Research and Development Centre, which is a co-owner of the technology. Laboratory tests have shown that our product is able to reduce pollutants by up to 40 %”, says Orlen CEO Daniel Obajtek.

In addition to substances emitted by vehicles, the ecological asphalt will also reduce the level of carcinogenic compounds from heating homes with conventional fuels.

“In the production of asphalt, we have used a photocatalytic material developed by the Gdansk University of Technology, which causes pollutants to decompose under the influence of sunlight. Our material shows much higher efficiency than other products on the market, which only reduce the concentration of nitrogen oxides”, says Prof. Anna Zielińska-Jurek from the Faculty of Chemistry at Gdansk University of Technology.

Laboratory tests confirmed a reduction of nitrogen oxides (NOx) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) of 40 % and the carcinogenic benzo(a)pyrene of 25 %, among other parameters. These results are clearly better than other products of this type available on the market.

Tests of the new material are currently underway for 12 months on a 1 km experimental road section laid in Kajkowo near Ostróda. The aim is to verify the environmentally-friendly properties of the asphalt in real operating conditions. The results obtained will form the basis for a decision to put the eco-friendly asphalt into production.

Arkadiusz Słomczyński