Hypex Bio for cleaner and smarter blasting

Blasting with hydrogen peroxide–based products, compared with traditional ammonium nitrate–based products, has not previously existed within the civil engineering sector. The first to implement the technology in civil operations was Boliden, within the Swedish mining industry. In the civil engineering sector, Implenia Sweden was the first company to test and evaluate Hypex Bio. Because the product was new to the market, both equipment and work methods needed to be adapted to optimise its use—an effort that Implenia Sweden and Hypex Bio have jointly developed since the collaboration began in September 2023. 

The new explosive is based on hydrogen peroxide as an oxidising agent, which eliminates the need for traditional nitrate salts. This solution has lower CO₂-emissions during production and reduces harmful nitrogen emissions to process water. However, Hypex Bio also entails a stricter working environment than conventional bulk emulsion with different types of risks when handling it. 

By removing ammonium nitrate from the process, residual products and emissions decrease significantly. Using Hypex Bio contributes to both lower climate impact and an improved air quality in underground constructions/tunnels after blasting, clear advantages in dense urban settings and underground facilities where air quality is crucial.

In the Farstagrenen pilot project, where Implenia Sweden did their testing of Hypex Bio in practice for the first time, the effects were clearly visible. Traditional nitrate-based emulsion explosives and the nitrate-free alternative were used side by side, providing a clear comparison of, for example, the environmental impact. 

The study was conducted over a period of 1.5 years, with 194 blasts with traditional nitrate-based explosives and 128 with Hypex Bio. During the last two months of the test period, only Hypex Bio was used. In this period, a significant reduction of nitrogen in the process water can be seen, as shown in the diagram below.

By using the Hypex Bio technology, nitrogen levels in the process water pumped out of the tunnel are significantly reduced (as shown in the diagram), making what is typically a complex water treatment process much simpler. Even though both types of explosives were used in parallel, the project showed a nitrogen reduction of 70–80 percent – a result that provides an encouraging outlook for the environmental benefits the construction and infrastructure sector can achieve with this new explosive. 

Through testing and optimisation of the working methods in the Farstagrenen pilot project, Hypex Bio has reached the same blasting performance as conventional bulk explosives – but the results remain inconsistent and the cost high. This promising pilot outcome provides a strong foundation for broader implementation in future projects and confirms the potential of Hypex Bio to transform the industry. 

The technology is designed for easy integration into existing workflows, enabling the transition to more sustainable blasting without compromising productivity or safety. The product is built to reduce both the overall environmental impact of projects and the risks associated with traditional explosives. 

What is truly significant is that Implenia, through this pilot project and at its own expense, is actively driving the development of sustainable innovations in a traditionally conservative industry, demonstrating a strong and genuine commitment. Following Implenia Sweden’s strategic decision to test Hypex Bio for underground blasting, competing suppliers have begun developing their own similar products, creating a positive shift in the industry that we are pleased to see. Implenia Sweden also notes that clients are starting to show interest in this nitrate-free product, and we anticipate that this type of blasting technology will become standard in the future 

Johan Hillman, Project Manager Farstagrenen, explains: “We will follow the development of hydrogen peroxide explosives in the industry with great interest and use our unique expertise in this area to further contribute to its development and implementation. At the same time, we are keeping an eye on the market as a whole so that we can contribute to the development of the next generation of sustainable technology. Whether it has to do with explosives, machinery or other technical solutions.”