04-11-2024

Neustark and Aggregate Industries bring onshore carbon removal technology to the UK

Neustark’s innovative technology and business model captures CO2 from biomass sites, liquefies it, then injects it into existing mineral waste streams such as demolished materials to be recycled and used in construction. This utilises a process of mineralisation that stores the CO2 in the aggregate, permanently removing it from the atmosphere and creating carbonated, recycled building materials such as concrete

As a leading supplier of materials and solutions to the construction industry, and a key player in the development of UK’s infrastructure, buildings and homes, Aggregate Industries has partnered with neustark to accelerate green growth and to provide high-quality, sustainable products to its customers. Aggregate Industries is part of the global Holcim Group, a global leader in innovative and sustainable building solutions.

The building and construction industry was estimated to account for 37% of global carbon emissions, 7% coming from the production of cement alone. This is according to a 2023 report published by the United Nations Environment Project (UNEP). While there have been efforts from the industry to decarbonise, the UK Green Building Council warned that the UK construction industry was ‘significantly off-track’ on its net zero goals at the end of last year indicating that decarbonisation rates would need to double in the coming years.

By using the carbon removal process of mineralisation, neustark and Aggregate Industries can support increased decarbonisation in the construction sector by turning demolished concrete, the world’s largest waste stream, 1 billion tons per year, into a carbon sink. Each tonne of demolished concrete can store an average of 10 kg of CO2.

The UK government signalled clear support for carbon capture and storage technology (CCS) by announcing a pledge of £21.7 billion in funding last month. However, the focus of this investment is currently on CCS, a less permanent management approach to carbon emissions, in comparison to neustark’s CO2 removal (CDR) technology. The government initiative is also tasked with building out regional technology ‘clusters’ for the development of the industry.

Valentin Gutknecht, CEO and co-founder, neustark, said: “We have already deployed 19 sites in Central Europe that capture and remove thousands of tons of CO2. By extending our relationship with Holcim and partnering with Aggregate Industries, we are now bringing this revolutionary technology to the UK.”

“The UK is an ideal market for us as it has a mature supply chain and the infrastructure we need to remove CO2 at scale. The government is supportive of building a competitive carbon market and shifting the industry away from early-stage developments to a competitive commercial set-up. But there is not enough focus on carbon removal, or consideration of how carbon removal can be embedded into existing supply chains and industries beyond oil and gas rather than always requiring extensive new infrastructure. This partnership is proof that collaboration between a cleantech start-up and global leader in building solutions can create tangible climate impact today. The rest of the construction industry should follow suit and we need to look at other applicable industries too.”

Lee Sleight, Chief Executive Officer of Aggregate Industries UK, said: “Our partnership with neustark takes the battle to reduce carbon emissions in the construction industry to the next level. Together, we can remove carbon from the atmosphere and permanently lock it into recycled concrete, which can be used again in new construction projects.

“We are excited to get this technology set up in London, where there is direct access to a huge supply of demolished concrete. And this isn’t just carbon removal, it’s a reinforcement of a circular economy enabling the reuse of a major waste stream. Once fully operational, we believe other contractors and specifiers will adopt this technology as well, accelerating their own decarbonisation journeys. Together, we can drive towards our net zero goals.”

Unlike other carbon removal technology, neustark is removing CO2 now and has already removed over 2,500 tonnes of CO2 from the earth’s atmosphere since it launched commercially in 2023. The start-up’s wider partnership with Holcim Group has resulted in the launch of first carbon removal sites in Switzerland, with others currently being built across Europe. The business is on track for rapid expansion across Europe. Building on its existing 19 sites in Europe, the business plans to bring online approximately 40 additional sites in the coming months and throughout 2025 in the region.