A start-up in Alberta is using hemp to make building blocks that are resistant to mold, fire and weather. The company, Asinikahtamwak, operates from a manufacturing plant located in the south region of Elk Point. 51% of the company is owned by Frog Lake First Nations. The remainder is owned by the Town of Elk Point and Natural Fiber Technologies at 10% and 39% respectively.
Clifton Cross stated that he was proud and excited about the new business, revealing that it had already begun construction on a 1250 ft2 prototype show home located in the First Nation community. Cross, who’s the councilor of Frog Lake First Nations, believes that the firm will offer sustainable building materials for the community as well as its partners and other neighboring communities.
He then added that the community was focused on finding ways to become safer and more sustainable. Tamrat Tekle, Asinikahtamwak’s CEO, revealed that the partnership with the First Nation made sense as the community needed affordable housing.
The firm is also experimenting with smaller projects like one-room cabins, ice fishing shacks, and greenhouses, all of which are constructed using structural insulated panels.
Tekle explained that Elk Point town needed to create economic activities, noting that Natural Fiber Technologies also needed to commercialize sustainable technologies and products. In the past, different materials like banana leaves and straw were used in brick-making. Since then, the use of hemp fiber in building projects in Italy, England and France has grown significantly.
Asinikahtamwak’s building blocks are made with a mixture of hemp fiber, water, cement and special additives, and are similar in size to traditional cinder blocks but considerably lighter. Other benefits of these blocks include decreased cracking, better thermal insulation, and reduced noise transmission.
It is important to note that while the blocks aren’t completely fireproof, they can slow the spread of a fire. Additionally, their mold resistant attributes could help extend the lifespan of houses. This is a welcome benefit for many living in wetlands around the region.
Currently, the company’s plant can manufacture roughly 250 bio-fiber blocks daily. It plans to increase this figure to 1000 blocks a day in a couple of months.
Jesse Hahn, the company’s co-founder, argues that waste wood from municipal landfills and the forestry industry could be used as an alternative for hemp fiber. Hahn adds that it is also possible to manufacture the building blocks using bamboo, wheat or flax.
As the hemp value chain continues to broaden, the different by-products from the manufacturing operations of firms like Software Effective Solutions Corp. (d/b/a MedCana) (OTC: SFWJ) could spin new opportunities to make money while reducing waste.
NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to Software Effective Solutions Corp. (d/b/a MedCana) (OTC: SFWJ) are available in the company’s newsroom at https://cnw.fm/SFWJ
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