New supply chains and addressing barriers to commercialisaion of concrete products made without Portland cement

The project will deliver a step change in the use of low carbon alkali activated binders in UK concrete production as a direct replacement for Portland cement (PC). PC, a key raw material, accounts for approx 8% of global man made CO2. Supplies in the UK are also potentially at risk due to demands from other global markets and unpredictability of the carbon tax regime. Alkali activated binders do not require high temperature processing and utilise local by-product materials or wastes. The project brings together key members of a new supply chain needed to move alkali activated binders to commercial use in the UK. It fulfils the unmet need being demanded by customers for lower environmental impact products and manufacturer's needs to find alternatives to PC which are more predictable in terms of security of supply and price. Alkali activated binders utilise a range of materials but we need to address supply chain/process barriers for binder raw materials.