O.C.O Technology capture King’s Award for Enterprise

Carbon-negative aggregate manufacturer honoured with Award for Enterprise: Sustainable Development 2024

CARBON-negative aggregate manufacturers O.C.O Technology have been honoured with the King’s Award for Enterprise: Sustainable Development 2024. The carbon-capture specialists, headquartered in Brandon, Suffolk, are one of 252 organizations nationally to be recognized.

Announced today [6 May], the highly sought-after accolade is only awarded to outstanding UK businesses.

O.C.O Technology’s chief executive officer, Steve Greig, said: ‘We are hugely proud to be awarded such a prestigious honour, cementing our reputation as the clear UK market leader in carbon mineralization.

‘Our patented technology offers real sustainable solutions in helping the energy-from-waste (EfW) industry manage the disposal of waste materials, turning them into carbon-negative manufactured limestone aggregate which is in high demand from the construction sector.

‘To have our hard work acknowledged at the highest level is incredibly rewarding and we look forward to flying the flag for British success and the circular economy as we continue to develop our partnerships on the world stage.’

Headquartered in Brandon, Suffolk, and having recently opened a new £10 million production facility in Wretham, Norfolk, O.C.O Technology have a £30 million turnover and employs 120 people across the country, with other operations in Avonmouth and Leeds.

The company is currently working in partnership with organizations in Australia, Japan, and Europe and is looking at future opportunities in North America and further across Asia.

O.C.O Technology’s pioneering accelerated carbonation technology (ACT) treats air pollution control residues (APCr), predominantly from EfW facilities, with carbon dioxide gas.

The process transforms it into an artificial aggregate which, because more CO₂ is permanently captured than is used in the manufacturing process, is recognized as the world’s first carbon-negative aggregate.

The King’s Awards for Enterprise, previously known as The Queen’s Awards for Enterprise, were renamed last year to reflect His Majesty The King’s desire to continue the legacy of HM Queen Elizabeth II’s by recognizing outstanding UK businesses.

O.C.O were commended for adding value to stakeholders’ environmental performance (through carbon reductions and waste avoided) and their research and development programme was highlighted for fostering innovation in new product applications, such as asphalt and concrete.

The Award programme, now in its 58th year, is the most prestigious business award in the country, with successful businesses able to use the esteemed King’s Awards Emblem for the next five years.