New carbon-negative aggregate to decarbonise the UK road network launched by Low Carbon Materials

• LCM has launched ACLA^®, a new carbon-negative aggregate that enables the creation of net-zero asphalt.
• Testing of the aggregate was undertaken in collaboration with National Highways and Skanska.
• ACLA^® is now available to buy.

‍The challenges of decarbonising UK roads

Roads remain a vital part of UK infrastructure, with 88% of journeys made by cars, vans, and taxis and 62% of public transport journeys made on local buses (Transport Statistics Great Britain: 2022).

Asphalt roads account for over 95% of all UK roads, and 25 million tonnes of asphalt are produced annually (Asphalt Industry Alliance, 2021). 

Tackling the emissions of asphalt is, therefore, vital for the UK road network to decarbonise in line with the country’s legally binding target of achieving net zero by 2050. 

With around two-thirds of councils in England aiming to be net zero by 2030, there is an urgent need for decarbonisation solutions in hard-to-abate sectors, like construction materials.

LCM’s solution to support local authorities and the construction sector 

Eathshot Prize finalists Low Carbon Materials have launched a new product that enables the creation of net zero asphalt. 

ACLA^® is a carbon-negative aggregate that, when incorporated into asphalt, lowers its carbon footprint. 

ACLA^® utilises the carbon removal technology of sequestration to permanently remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. 

Sequestration is the process where a material captures and stores carbon dioxide to prevent its release into the atmosphere.

This innovative new product acts as a ‘drop-in’ decarbonisation solution as it requires no changes to existing production methods to be integrated into asphalt. 

To achieve net zero, 5-7% of ACLA^® by weight of the total asphalt mix is likely required depending on the embodied carbon of the mix designs.

Request a datasheet for ACLA^® here. 

Testing ACLA^® with National Highways and Skanska

Our partnership with National Highways and Skanska has been invaluable in testing ACLA^®.

We have also worked closely with asphalt manufacturer Tarmac and National Highways' safety, engineering and standards team.

LCM designed and developed ACLA^® and has been testing the aggregate on the Accelerating Low Carbon Innovation Programme delivered by Connected Places Catapult.

These collaborations with leading industry experts have helped us develop our innovative climate tech solution into a viable net zero solution for decarbonising UK roads.

Our work aims to support National Highways in reaching net zero emissions from construction and maintenance activity by 2040.  

More information on the programme here. 

Making Net-Zero Construction a Reality

Low Carbon Materials is excited to announce this new product, which builds on our work creating easy-to-adopt solutions to decarbonise the construction sector. 

The launch of ACLA^® follows the success of our flagship product, OSTO^®, a carbon-negative aggregate for use in a variety of concrete applications. 

With a simple switch, both OSTO^® and ACLA^® can lower the emissions of projects in which they are used. 

To see how LCM can help reduce emissions on your next construction project, email sales@lowcarbonmaterials.com 

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