£25,000 gone to waste

The spin-out company from the University of Greenwich beat more than 70 entrants to claim the £25,000 prize, which was awarded for their patented accelerated carbonation technology that converts industrial waste, such as ash from commercial incinerators, and contaminated soil into harmless aggregate that can be used by the construction industry. 

The groundbreaking process promises double environmental benefit in that it prevents waste going to landfill, while the accelerated carbonation technology captures and removes a significant amount of carbon dioxide from the environment, helping to fight global warming.

Carbon8 Commercial Director, Dr Paula Carey, said: "We are very excited by this award - it will make a terrific impact on making Carbon8 a commercial reality. The money will enable us to complete the construction of our pilot plant, conduct trials at an commercial scale and market the system."

The company is about to commission its first pilot plant at the Viridor Waste Management plant in Kent, and aims to commence pilot scale trials within the next few weeks.

Professor Simons is Director of the UCL Centre for CO₂ Technology, which develops breakthrough technologies for the large-scale reduction removal and sequestration of carbon dioxide. Technologies for methane, the second most important greenhouse gas, are also being developed.

Robert de Fougerolles, Chairman of the Kent Innovation Challenge judging panel, said: "Carbon8 Systems is a company operating in the right space at the right time.  Carbon8 has already attracted a lot of interest from the construction and waste disposal industries and this award is well deserved."

To find out more, use the links at the bottom of this article.

• Links: Carbon8 Systems
• UCL Centre for CO₂ Technology