Material Evolution pilots low-carbon cement with CRH

Material Evolution is partnering with CRH and its UK subsidiary Tarmac to pilot MevoCem, a next-generation ultra-low carbon cement, at its Wrexham production facility.

The trial will evaluate MevoCem’s performance under the new BSI Code of Practice Flex 350, a standard designed to support wider use of lower carbon concretes. Data from the pilot may help Flex 350 feed into the main BS8500 concrete specification, creating a clearer path for low-carbon materials across UK construction.

MevoCem is produced using a proprietary alkali fusion process that eliminates the need for heat in cement production. According to Material Evolution, this can reduce emissions by up to 85% compared to traditional cement.

Liz Gilligan, CEO and co-founder of Material Evolution, said: “This partnership is a major milestone for our team, and we’re excited to deepen our relationship with CRH and Tarmac as we scale MevoCem at a commercial level… it supports not just our growth, but the continued research required to deliver a true net zero cement alternative.”

The pilot follows Material Evolution’s selection as a winner in the CRH Ventures Sustainable Materials Accelerator Programme, which identifies innovations to cut emissions and waste and improve energy efficiency across the construction value chain.

Josh Bennett, national technical manager for ready-mix at Tarmac, added: “We are looking forward to collaborating with the team at Material Evolution… and continuing to advance progress in the materials science of low carbon products.”

With a capacity of 120,000 tonnes per year, Material Evolution’s Mevo A1 facility in Wrexham is now the UK’s largest dedicated producer of ultra-low carbon cement.

More information is available at: materialevolution.com