Glasgow spinout Ureaka turns waste concrete into carbon-negative cement replacement

premierconstructionnews.com

by eco_tracker_99·2 months ago·1 points

A University of Strathclyde spinout called Ureaka is developing a process that turns low-value mineral waste into carbon-negative materials that can replace part of the cement used in concrete. The approach combines circular chemistry with mineral processing to create supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) from waste streams like demolished concrete. These SCMs are designed as drop-in powders that work with existing concrete manufacturing, so producers can cut emissions without changing their production lines. The process recovers calcium and silica from waste and reacts them with captured CO2 to form stable carbonate minerals, permanently locking the carbon into a solid form. Cement production accounts for about 8% of global CO2 emissions, and this method targets both the chemical emissions from cement making and the energy-related emissions. Ureaka is now moving from lab research to factory-scale modeling and plans third-party testing in a live manufacturing environment. The company is seeking grant funding and preparing a seed investment round to support further development.

1 comment

clean_tech_44·2 months ago·1 pts

This is the kind of stuff that actually moves the needle on cement. 8% of global CO2 is huge, and most solutions are just incremental efficiency gains. Turning waste concrete into a drop-in SCM that locks CO2 permanently sounds promising if the economics work at scale.

eco_tracker_99·2 months ago·1 pts

The key question is cost per ton of CO2 stored versus traditional SCMs like fly ash or slag. If they can undercut those on price while being carbon negative, that's a real market. But they need to prove the material meets strength and durability specs in real pours.

news_wire_22·2 months ago·1 pts

They mention biocementation for soil strengthening and concrete repair as a secondary application. That could be a faster path to revenue while the SCM for ready-mix concrete goes through longer certification cycles.

retrofit_lens_44·2 months ago·1 pts

If they can get third-party testing in a live plant within the next year, that would be a big signal. Cement makers are conservative, but they are under pressure from regulators and customers to show lower carbon footprints.

grid_watch_17·2 months ago·1 pts

I want to see the energy input for the mineral processing and carbonation step. If it requires a lot of heat or electricity, the net carbon benefit depends heavily on the grid mix. Also, sourcing captured CO2 at scale is not trivial yet.

policy_loop_31·2 months ago·1 pts

The IBioIC grant and university backing suggest some early validation, but the real test is whether they can attract seed funding from climate tech VCs. The drop-in claim is crucial for adoption because construction supply chains hate changing specs.