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Innovate UK has unveiled plans to inject £3.2 million into seven cutting-edge projects through its Decarbonising Concrete Competition, which aims to accelerate the decarbonisation of the UK concrete industry.
Among the selected initiatives, Cemcor is pioneering the use of calcined clay to create low-carbon building materials. At the same time, Skanska UK seeks to repurpose excavated London clay for more sustainable construction. Cocoon Carbon is taking a novel approach by producing cement from by-products of electric arc furnace steel production.
Additional projects receiving funding include Cemex UK's innovative blend of micronised limestone and graphene, EFC Green Concrete Technology UK's efforts to roll out geopolymer cement, and the Materials Processing Institute's development of low-carbon cement alternatives.
In addition to securing this funding from the government-backed Innovate UK, the winning projects will have the opportunity to collaborate with the Concrete Commitment Cohort and contribute to the creation of an Advance Market Commitment (AMC) designed to drive demand for low-carbon concrete solutions.
"We're pleased to announce the projects receiving funding via the Decarbonising Concrete competition," said Dr. Stafford Lloyd, clean growth strategy innovation lead at Innovate UK. "These projects are cutting-edge, and we can expect to see them looking at producing alternative cements and whole new production methods with new additives.
"Together with our work on AMCs, we're really starting to accelerate innovation in decarbonising concrete."
The Contracts for Innovation Decarbonising Concrete Competition is designed to fast-track the commercial adoption of low-carbon concrete, fostering stronger connections between innovative projects and their potential end-users. Innovate UK emphasized that even projects that applied but did not secure funding will still have opportunities to engage with the broader concrete decarbonisation programme and contribute to developing an Advance Market Commitment (AMC), which aims to increase demand for low-carbon concrete solutions.
This announcement coincides with a new study released by the Climate Group and consultancy Ramboll, which suggests that nearly half of companies surveyed are prepared to pay a premium for lower-emission steel and concrete. According to *The Steel and Concrete Transformation: 2024 Market Outlook on Lower Emission Steel and Concrete*, 40% of respondents indicated a willingness to pay more for concrete that delivers at least a 25% reduction in emissions, while 49% were willing to do the same for steel with emissions cuts of over 50%.
Despite this growing interest, the report noted that 84% of businesses view cost as the most significant hurdle to adopting lower-carbon steel and concrete, even as the push for sustainable materials gains momentum.
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