Material Evolution announces UK’s largest ultra-low carbon cement plant now operational

Material Evolution, the start-up aiming to radically decarbonise the world’s most common construction material, announced today that its first-of-a-kind ultra-low carbon cement production plant has launched in Wrexham.

The ultra-low carbon cement production facility has been commissioned and is operating on an industrial scale, making it the UK’s biggest producer of ultra-low carbon cement. The factory was officially opened with a ribbon-cutting ceremony attended by Phil Parkinson, manager for local football club Wrexham AFC.

The Mevo A1 Production Facility produced its first batch of ultra-low carbon cement in October 2024, on schedule and just 8 months after construction work began onsite. The facility has capacity to produce 120,000 tonnes of Material Evolution’s pioneering MevoCem product, which has up to 85% emissions reductions compared to ordinary Portland cement per year.

The groundbreaking factory uses no heat or kilns to combine the constituent ingredients of its cement – contrary to the traditional production process that has been scrutinised for its vast carbon output. Instead, the production facility relies on Material Evolution’s patented alkali-fusion process to produce a cement capable of undergoing geopolymerisation.

“This launch takes us one step closer to achieving our goal of removing one gigaton of CO2 by 2040,” said Sam Clark, co-founder and chief operating officer of Material Evolution.

“Constructing a first-of-a-kind facility in just eight months is a massive undertaking. But our modular construction and lean design principles not only allowed us to move rapidly, but also means our approach is highly scalable.”

Clark continued: “We hope this facility proves that cement and concrete decarbonisation is not only a possibility in the future – it’s a reality on the ground today. We look forward to working with government agencies, trade bodies and concrete specifiers to join us on our mission to realise the green transition here in the UK.”

The ultra-low carbon cement plant is located in Llay, Wrexham, on the site of CCP Building Products, which produces pre-cast concrete blocks. This co-location marks a first-of-its-kind approach to cement and concrete production under one roof, further lowering the carbon footprint of the end product due to lower transport requirements.

Material Evolution funded the Mevo A1 Production Facility’s construction in part through the £15 million Series A funding round it raised in 2023, which included strategic investment from SigmaRoc, CCP Building Products’ parent company.

“We are thrilled to see the Mevo A1 Production Facility up and running, marking a significant milestone in low-carbon cement production in the UK,” said Michael Roddy, RMD North West at SigmaRoc. “This project aligns with SigmaRoc’s commitment to sustainable development, and we are proud to support Material Evolution in driving innovation that transforms the industry.”

The 120 square meter plant was designed to combine and react waste feedstocks using lean manufacturing techniques. Material is transported around the plant using state-of-the-art material handling processes allowing its overall footprint to be far smaller than the average UK cement factory. By using a modular design, the Mevo A1 Production Facility is flexible to the supply chain and raw materials required, allowing for adaptation to new cement technology and innovation.

Founded in 2020 by Dr Liz Gilligan and Sam Clark, Material Evolution aims to help revolutionise the £500 billion concrete industry.