An old sawmill invents low-carbon concrete.

In response to the environmental impact of the building sector, alternatives are emerging to reduce the carbon footprint of construction. In Isère, the company CCB Greentech transforms wood waste from French forests into aggregates intended for producing a bio-sourced concrete capable of storing carbon. Born from a long research phase, this hybrid material combines structural strength and lightness while meeting new regulatory requirements. An industrial innovation that concerns the way to build tomorrow, balancing technical performance, circular economy, and ecological transition.

AI Index: Library of Mediterranean Knowledge
Wood concrete for greener building
22-med – February 2026
• In Isère, an industrial innovation transforms low-value wood into low-carbon concrete capable of storing CO₂.
• Between environmental regulations, bio-sourced materials, and new construction methods, a pathway to decarbonize the building sector.
#construction #wood #concrete #biosourced #innovation #architecture #industry #ecologicaltransition #carbon #sustainablebuilding

On the vast industrial site of Beaurepaire, in Isère, piles of conifer logs are stacked between the factory and the fields. However, it is not a sawmill that is located there, but CCB Greentech. This company has developed a unique recipe: to transform wood for processing (those trunks that are too short, twisted, or not of high enough quality for the timber industry) into aggregates. To feed the boilers and stoves in France perhaps? Not at all!

A pathway to decarbonize construction

François Cochet, the president and founder of CCB Greentech, was once at the head of a sawmill in another life. He was then looking for ways to valorize the waste produced. Gradually, he arrived at a satisfactory solution: with wood aggregates, cement, and a bit of water, you get wood concrete.

Bio-sourced, structural, and low in carbon, this wood concrete is now used in new building projects. “The real benefit of this somewhat special concrete is that it captures the carbon from the wood without ever releasing it. A real environmental advantage,” presents Caroline Gérard, marketing and business development director at CCB Greentech since 2022.

Fifteen years of research and development were necessary to achieve this goal. A strong argument in a building sector responsible for 43% of annual energy consumption and 23% of French greenhouse gas emissions. But CCB Greentech wanted to go further. “The goal was really to know how to use the strengths of concrete – particularly resistance and dimensional stability – and those of wood to create a hybrid material that presents interest for users.”