BÂTILIN

Context

Each year, the L.A. Linière cooperative produces between 10,000 and 14,000 tonnes of flax shives via its scutching activity. Today the shives are mainly used as bedding for horses and as horticultural mulch. Despite the large volumes, these markets are not very profitable for its flax-producing members.

Description

In the search for new markets, research has highlighted interesting properties able to be exploited in a new insulation material. A project was therefore born to commercialise flax shives in the construction sector, named Project BÂTILIN.

In the form of a masonry block, BÂTILIN is a perfect solution for both renovation and new-build projects. Its qualities offer occupants real comfort thanks to its high insulating capacity, its thermal inertia – useful in winter to retain heat and in summer to maintain stable temperature – and its breathability which regulates ambient humidity.

The cooperative’s objective is to offer a biobased, high-performance and local material as more than using a local raw material, the BÂTILIN blocks are produced at the cooperative’s site of L.A. Linière in Bourbourg.

Renovation projects are currently being developed with the region’s social landlords. In the short term, homes will be insulated with BÂTILIN, a natural product “made in Hauts-de-France”.

The cooperative is receiving financial and strategic support for the project, from the Regional Council of the Hauts-de-France region, ADEME and BPI.