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Flax and hemp fibers can make construction much more environmentally friendly, researchers from ABN AMRO have concluded. For this, more must be grown, for example in Eastern Europe.
There are more crops with good properties, but few plants are usable on a large scale. “Linen and hemp are exceptions,” write the researchers. So almost any plant can be used.
Flax and hemp fibers are suitable, among other things, for insulation boards, blow-in insulation systems and ceilings. And if the construction stops, it is also for animal feed, paper and textiles.
The cultivation of these plants would also contribute to environmentally friendly agriculture. Crops can store CO2 for a long time and clean the soil they grow on. Moreover, they are not very dependent on additional fertilizers and water.
Little space in the Netherlands for additional crops
The idea of using large-scale crops in construction is still in its infancy. In the Netherlands there is a struggle for the available space, not to mention the fact that fields can be laid out for flax and hemp like this.
The researchers emphasize that cooperation with European countries will be necessary. In Eastern Europe, for example, there is more space and fewer rules.
Because flax and hemp take up a lot of space. “With one hectare of hemp, you can insulate about a house, but if the growing season has been very wet, you need two hectares for the same house,” explains Cor van Dijken of the Building for Good foundation. The insulation task facing the Netherlands requires 50,000 hectares.
Flax yields more than hemp
There are even more uncertainties around cultures. Flax currently fetches 2,100 to 3,700 euros per hectare per hectare, more than starch potatoes. Hemp fetches much less at around 900 euros per hectare.
In addition, fire safety has not yet been tested on a large scale. “There are tests that show fiber and hemp products perform well,” says Paul Bisschop, researcher at ABN AMRO.
If the hemp-insulated house burns down, it certainly won’t get local residents high. “The THC concentration of hemp plants is much lower than that of cannabis plants,” says Bisschop.
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