Finnish concrete producer Lakka is moving toward more sustainable construction materials with a major investment in CO2-cured concrete technology.
The company plans to begin large-scale production at its Joensuu facility in early 2026, using a process that significantly reduces the environmental impact of concrete manufacturing.
“This is a multimillion-euro investment for us. Our goal is that within the next couple of years, half of the production at our Joensuu plant will utilize CO2 treatment,” says Juho Hiltunen, CEO of Lakan Betoni.
Concrete is responsible for roughly 8% of global human-related carbon emissions, with the majority — about 90% — coming from cement production, the material that binds concrete together.
Lakka will implement Carbonaide’s advanced technology, which substitutes a portion of cement with carbon dioxide. During the curing process, CO2 is injected and permanently mineralized into the material, allowing cement content to be cut by 20–50%.
Hiltunen pointed to two major forces behind the decision: “The price of cement has risen sharply in recent years, and at the same time, demand for environmentally friendly building materials has grown. Lakka’s investment comes at the right time in that sense—there’s clear interest,” he explained.
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As Finland’s top supplier of concrete items to the hardware store market, Lakka expects the shift to have a noticeable impact on the carbon footprint of consumer-facing concrete products.
Founded in 2022, Carbonaide now marks a milestone with Lakka as its first commercial client to implement its second-generation carbon-curing system. The collaboration positions both companies at the forefront of decarbonizing concrete production in Northern Europe.
“The company’s real growth markets are naturally outside of Finland. For international expansion, having solid domestic references is extremely important,” says Tapio Vehmas, CEO of Carbonaide.
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