Japanese construction company Obayashi has completed the first overseas application of its low-carbon concrete CleanCrete in Indonesia after establishing a local supply chain for the material.
The pilot was carried out at a data centre construction project, where CleanCrete was used for the foundations of a temporary building. Pionirbeton Industri (PBI), a ready-mixed concrete supplier in Indonesia, produced the material at its plant, then transported it to the site and placed it using a concrete pump truck.
It is the first time Obayashi has deployed CleanCrete outside Japan. By the end of FY2025, the concrete had been used in approximately 479,000m³ of construction in Japan.
CleanCrete mix adapted for Indonesia
Obayashi worked with PBI on a series of tests to develop a CleanCrete mix using locally sourced materials and suited to Indonesian production and construction conditions.
The Japanese mix could not simply be transferred to Indonesia because material performance, quality standards and climatic conditions vary between countries. The mix developed for Indonesia kept cement content below 30%, the same level as the company’s Japanese mix design.
Obayashi said the locally produced CleanCrete reduces CO2 emissions by more than 60% compared to conventional concrete.
The concrete replaces most of its cement with industrial by-products such as ground granulated blast-furnace slag, the company said.
Concrete used in data centre project
For the pilot, CleanCrete produced at PBI’s ready-mixed concrete plant was transported to the data centre construction site and used in the foundations of a temporary building.
Obayashi reported no workability issues during placement. It also said it observed no cracks or other defects on the finished surface.
The company said the concrete was placed with satisfactory quality during the pilot.
Obayashi targets wider use in Indonesia
Obayashi plans to use the results from the Indonesian pilot to further optimise the CleanCrete mix and construction conditions for local use.
The company aims to expand CleanCrete applications across construction projects in Indonesia, including the data centre project where it carried out the pilot.
Obayashi also plans to establish CleanCrete supply chains suited to the conditions of individual countries and regions as it pursues applications for the concrete outside Japan.
