Grenoble experiments with salt-free deicing this winter

The City of Grenoble tested a more environmentally-friendly deicing method this winter, using a sodium-chloride-free product, DéneigeVert , manufactured by Selvert, a local startup founded in 2012 by Enseeg (now Phelma) alumnus Guy Baret. This winter’s measurements were skewed by the wildly fluctuating temperatures, so an additional measurement campaign will likely take place in winter 2015–2016.

Calcium-acetate-based DéneigeVert is biodegradable and non-corrosive to concrete and vegetation. The product’s composition—lime and acetic acid—results in a cost five times that of traditional salt. But Selvert is working on making the product more affordable, most notably by making its own acetic acid from local dairy industry byproducts, a goal the company hopes to reach by 2017.

Selvert also sells a range of environmentally-friendly weed killers and a product that traps particulate matter from car exhaust. The company is gearing up to raise €400,000 in fresh capital.

Contact: contact@selvert-sas.com

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