Project

In its 2022 coalition agreement, the state government of North Rhine-Westphalia declared its intention to increase acceptance of the need for raw material extraction in NRW. Among other things, the development of scientifically based raw material monitoring, which will make future demand for gravel and sand more transparent, is intended to contribute to this. According to the coalition agreement, the goal is to fully exploit existing deposits while taking nature and water conservation into account and to make extensive use of recycled building materials as part of the circular economy by removing barriers to the reusability of demolition materials, whereby alternative building materials can also reduce the need for primary building materials. All of this would help to keep the land use for the primary extraction of gravel and sand or quartz gravel and sand as low as possible, taking into account legally compliant supply periods. On the one hand, raw material monitoring takes stock of the current extraction of gravel and sand or quartz gravel and sand and the associated land use in North Rhine-Westphalia, as well as the emergence of recycled and alternative building materials. On the other hand, taking into account the expected emergence of recycled and alternative building materials and raw material productivity, it projects the future primary extraction of gravel and sand or quartz gravel and sand required in order to estimate a degression path for various scenarios with regard to overall economic and economic structural development, and makes recommendations for action.

Project start:
01. July 2025

Project end:
31. December 2029

Project management:
Dr. Jochen Dehio

Project staff:
Prof. Dr. Torsten Schmidt, Stefan Kotz, Ronald Janßen-Timmen, Dr. Michael Rothgang

Funding:
Ministerium für Wirtschaft, Industrie, Klimaschutz und Energie des Landes Nordrhein-Westfalen