A world leader in carbon capture has been awarded the King’s Award for Enterprise: Sustainable Development 2024.
Based in Norfolk, O.C.O’s Accelerated Carbonation Technology (ACT) is used to treat various waste materials, turning them into a carbon negative aggregate for the construction industry.
The carbon captured within the process also enables O.C.O to offer its own verified Carbon Removal Units which are sold through the voluntary market.
With a current turnover of approx. £32 million and UK operations in Norfolk, Suffolk, Leeds and Avonmouth, the company is broadening the use of its technology into other global waste material markets, concentrating on the permanent capture of CO2 and supporting organisations in their drive to cut carbon emissions.
O.C.O is also a member of the Carbon Capture & Storage Association.
Group Chief Executive Officer Steve Greig was presented with the award by Lady Dannatt, MBE, HM Lord-Lieutenant of Norfolk, in front of an audience including O.C.O customers from as far afield as Japan, Spain, Italy and the US.
Steve presented Lady Dannatt with a certificate announcing it had retired one carbon credit in her name – representing the verified removal of one tonne of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. This represents 431 average UK car journeys and is equivalent to the amount of CO2 absorbed by 45 trees in a year.
He said: “We were honoured to welcome Lady Dannatt to our facility and to have the opportunity to share insight into our groundbreaking work.
“The fact we could assure Lady Dannatt that her attendance was genuinely carbon negative made the occasion more special and was a perfect way to demonstrate the benefits of high-quality carbon credits.
“Receiving our King’s Award has been an absolute pinnacle of our success, and we are hugely proud of our achievements. Not only has it underlined our own commitment to carbon capture and sustainability, but we are now able to fly the flag for UK technology around the world in an even bigger and better way than we did before.”
Among other attendees was Cllr Keith Gilbert, Chairman of Breckland Council, and Steve also thanked the council for its support.
Prior to the presentation, Lady Dannatt enjoyed a tour of O.C.O’s £10 million manufacturing facility, visiting the test laboratory to see how the aggregate blends are mixed, before viewing the manufacturing lines and talking to the team about the production processes. The tour ended with an overview of the different sized aggregate ready for delivery to the construction sector.
Speaking afterwards, she said: “I am not a scientist, but the concept was quite extraordinary and the fact the aggregate is carbon negative is quite phenomenal.
“If this is the way forward, it is to be commended on every level, O.C.O has a fantastic team and a fantastic product, and this was a brilliant experience. I am very proud that here in Norfolk we have such cutting-edge technology solutions.”
O.C.O chairman Richard Skehens, who hosted Lady Dannatt during her visit, also paid tribute to colleagues Karen Finch and Dr Peter Gunning for their hard work in compiling the King’s Award entry form.
One of four O.C.O facilities across the UK, the new production facility at Wretham opened in autumn 2023, bringing 25 new jobs to the area. A further £5m expansion programme will see a third production line open later this year, enabling the facility to process up to 100,000 tonnes of residues per annum, producing around 250,000 tonnes of manufactured aggregate.
When the awards were announced last May, O.C.O was one of only 28 organisations nationwide to be named as a recipient in the Sustainable Development category. It was commended for adding value to stakeholders’ environmental performance (through carbon reductions and waste avoided), while its research and development programme was highlighted for fostering innovation in new product applications, such as asphalt and concrete.
