• The technology will turn demolished concrete into carbon sinks.
• Neustark will open more such facilities in the UK and across Europe to help reduce carbon emissions in the construction industry.

Neustark, a Bern-based leading carbon removal specialist, has partnered with Aggregate Industries, a UK-based company committed to creating a better built environment through sustainable approaches, for a new carbon removal technology.

The Swiss company has developed a technology that removes carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and locks it into recycled concrete. This innovative technology in the construction industry turns waste material from demolished buildings into carbon-storing building materials.

With this, the company has entered the UK market and opened its first facility in Greenwich, London, which permanently removes 1,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide each year—equivalent to the carbon absorbed by 16,000 tree seedlings over 10 years.

Through the partnership, both companies will work together to increase sustainability in the construction industry, a major source of global carbon emissions.

With the UK government extending its support to fund carbon capture technologies, Neustark plans to expand in the UK and across Europe by opening more such sites in the coming years.

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.”

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Source: Neustark