Eiffage Route’s Carbon Light Wins Top Honors in 2023 French Innovation Competition

Eiffage, through its subsidiary Eiffage Route, has been honored by the French government in the 2023 “Routes et Rues” competition for innovative projects. The recognition is for Carbon Light, a groundbreaking solution featuring low-carbon asphalt with a plant-based binder produced at warm temperatures. This eco-friendly asphalt reduces carbon footprint by nearly 30% compared to traditional road surfaces. Eiffage aims to expand the use of biosourced, renewable, and low-carbon materials across all its projects.

For over a decade, Eiffage Route has led the way in developing plant-based asphalts for road infrastructures. Their range includes Recytal, Biophalt, and Bioklair, contributing to sustainable roadwork and urban development.

The award, presented by France’s Ministry for the Environmental Transition and Territorial Cohesion, in collaboration with IDRRIM and Cerema, and sponsored by the AIT (French Agency for Innovation in Transport), focuses on promoting innovative trials through real-life demonstration projects. The winning innovation will undergo experimental trials by interested contractors in various regions, with Cerema monitoring the asphalt’s performance and durability over three to five years.

Eiffage’s success in the competition spans 17 selected innovative solutions since its inception. Noteworthy entries include Recyclean and R6Pont in 2015, Aéroprène in 2016, Recytal-ARM and Luciole in 2017, Microphone Stéréo and Guid’N Grip in 2018. In 2019, Eiffage secured four out of eight selected solutions with LuminoKrom Vision+, Biophalt, Skinway, and PRFC. In 2020, Bioklair and Flexocim received recognition, followed by three solutions in 2021: TramERS GB5, ÉcOasis, and HPE. The streak continued in 2022 with the accolade for Orra, the optimized rolling resistance asphalt solution.