A north-east environmental technology firm has been awarded a grant by the UK’s innovation agency to accelerate the research and development of a “ground-breaking” low carbon process for making concrete.
Recycl8 – based in Oldmeldrum – says the Innovate UK Transforming Foundation Industries Challenge Award, worth £167,000, paves the way for accelerated trials.
The timescale of the testing phase has been cut by two-thirds. Initially scheduled to take place over two to three years, testing will now take eight to nine months and has already reached the halfway mark.
If all UK concrete was made with Recycl8 technology, we’d save around 2.1 million tonnes of CO2.”
Ian Skene, managing director, Recycl8
Recycl8 works with partners in the waste-to-energy and global construction industries to transform incinerator ash – often destined for landfill – into a low-carbon additive for concrete manufacture.
Its new technology is expected to help concrete manufacturers reduce their carbon footprint and achieve climate targets.
Energy industry veterans Mike Wilson and Doug Duguid recently led a £1 million buyout of the firm, which was launched two years ago through a business start-up scheme.
The testing is required by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (Sepa) Environment Agency (England and Wales), so Recycl8’s processed material can be reclassified as a product rather than waste. A successful outcome would mean the Environment Agency and Sepa granting Recycl8 a licence to process the ash and take the final product to market.
According to Recycl8, the processed ash can make up to 60% by volume of produced concrete, replacing “high C02 emitting cement and other virgin quarried materials”.
‘Extremely proud’
Co-founder and managing director Ian Skene said: “Following a very rigorous application process, we are extremely proud to have received this considerable funding grant from Innovate UK.
“By expediting the testing process and bringing our process to market ahead of schedule, we can create positive impact quicker as part of our commitment to the circular economy and net-zero goals.
“If all UK concrete was made with Recycl8 technology, we’d save around 2.1 million tonnes of CO2 – a hugely significant opportunity for both the construction industry and waste-to-energy industry as they tackle the carbon emissions challenges they face to meet international net-zero targets.”
Business took shape in Grey Matters
Recycl8 was established by Mr Skene, Raymond Cowan and Yvonne Walker after they met on an enterprise start-up scheme for redundant oil and gas professionals, Grey Matters, in 2019.
Mr Skene owned the company outright until the recent £1 million acquisition, whose two main driving forces are well-known in the north-east energy industry.
The new owners
Mr Wilson is the founder, owner, chairman and technology director at Banchory-based Ecosse IP, which was spun out of Ecosse Subsea Systems (ESS) in 2018 when the latter was sold to US firm Oceaneering International for about £50m. ESS was itself founded by Mr Wilson in 1996.
Mr Duguid is a co-founder and former chief executive of Aberdeen-based mechanical and electrical services company EnerMech. It was acquired by US private equity firm Carlyle Group in 2018 in a £450m deal.
