Switzerland-based carbon dioxide removal (CDR) technology specialist neustark AG and UK-based building materials supplier Aggregate Industries, a Holcim Group company, are introducing a new technology that permanently removes carbon from the atmosphere and locks it into recycled concrete.
According to a 2023 United Nations Environment Project (UNEP) report, the building and construction industry was estimated to account for 37 percent of global carbon emissions, with 7 percent coming from the production of cement alone.
While there have been efforts from the industry to decarbonize, the UK Green Building Council has warned that the UK construction industry was ‘significantly off-track’ on its net zero goals at the end of last year indicating that decarbonization rates would need to double in the coming years.
Innovative circular CDR technology
The innovative neustark technology and business model captures biogenic carbon dioxide (CO2) from bioenergy sites, liquefies it, and then injects the biogenic liquid carbon dioxide (bioLCO2) into existing mineral waste streams such as demolished materials to be recycled and used in construction.
This utilizes a process of mineralization that stores the CO2 in the aggregate, permanently removing it from the atmosphere and creating carbonated, recycled building materials such as concrete.
First in the UK
The first UK site went into operation on November 4, 2024, in Greenwich, London, and will permanently remove tonne by tonne of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the coming months and support building projects in the local area.
The site will be able to permanently store and remove 1,000 tonnes of CO2 (net)
per year.
We have already deployed 19 sites in Central Europe that capture and remove thousands of tonnes of CO2. By extending our relationship with Holcim and partnering with Aggregate Industries, we are now bringing this revolutionary technology to the UK, said Valentin Gutknecht, CEO and co-founder of neustark.
Immediate carbon removals
As a leading supplier of materials and solutions to the construction industry, and a key player in the development of the UK’s infrastructure, buildings, and homes, Aggregate Industries and neustark can support increased decarbonization in the construction sector by turning demolished concrete, the world’s largest waste stream with 1 billion tonnes per year, into a carbon sink.
Each tonne of demolished concrete can store an average of 10 kg of CO2. The UK government signaled clear support for carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology by announcing a pledge of GBP 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 technology.
The government initiative is also tasked with building out regional technology ‘clusters’ for the development of the industry.
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. However, 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 a global leader in building solutions can create a tangible climate impact today. The rest of the construction industry should follow suit and we need to look at other applicable industries too, said Valentin Gutknecht.
Unlike other CDR technologies, 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 the 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.
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 decarbonization journeys. Together, we can drive towards our net zero goals, said Lee Sleight, CEO of Aggregate Industries UK.
