Reclinker Raises £10m for Low-Carbon Cement Innovation
Reclinker, a Cardiff-based company, has secured £10 million in an oversubscribed Series A funding round to scale its low-carbon cement technology. The investment will help the company grow production in South Wales and create skilled green jobs, leveraging its breakthrough process that turns demolition waste into new cement.
The funding round was co-led by Clean Growth Fund and AP Ventures, with participation from the Development Bank of Wales and existing investors, including Zero Carbon Capital, Kibo Invest, and Cambridge Enterprise. Reclinker’s technology, developed at the University of Cambridge and described in Nature, recovers cement paste from construction demolition and transforms it back into clinker inside electric arc furnaces used for steel recycling.
A Breakthrough in Low-Carbon Cement Production
Reclinker’s process has been demonstrated through multiple industrial-scale trials at 7 Steel UK’s Cardiff site, the nation’s leading producer of low-carbon circular steel. The company has already made its first commercial sales. Cement production is one of the world’s hardest sectors to decarbonize, responsible for approximately 7% of global CO₂ emissions, roughly three times those of aviation. The vast majority of these emissions arise from producing clinker, cement’s key ingredient. Around 53% of its emissions come from the calcination of limestone, while an additional 35% stem from the fossil fuels burned in high-temperature kilns.
Reclinker’s technology offers a 50% reduction in emissions, with further reductions expected as the technology scales, all at cost parity with conventional cement. Its electrically driven circular process eliminates the need for kilns, quarried limestone, and fossil-fuel-driven heat. The resulting cementitious slag is processed and sold in blended cement products, addressing both environmental and economic challenges.
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Scaling Production and Creating Green Jobs
The new funding will support production in Cardiff towards 120,000 tonnes per year and enable the replication of the model across additional electric arc furnace facilities in Europe and the US. Reclinker’s CEO, Bill Yost, emphasized that the investment highlights UK investors’ commitment to decarbonization. He also noted the significance of supporting green industries in Wales.
International Climate Technology Expertise Meets Welsh Backing
The investment combines international climate technology expertise with Welsh support. Stephen Price of Clean Growth Fund highlighted how Reclinker’s approach addresses the deep-rooted emissions challenges in cement production, both from process chemistry and energy use. Andrew Hinkly of AP Ventures praised the technology’s unique ability to produce low-carbon clinker using existing steel industry equipment while consuming industrial waste streams.
Reclinker’s technology has been validated through the Innovate UK Advance Market Commitment, where large concrete users have pledged to introduce significant volumes of low-carbon clinker over the next five years. This market validation shows the technology’s potential impact.
A Hub for Industrial Innovation in Cardiff
Gareth Mayhead of the Development Bank of Wales highlighted the role of co-investment in bringing innovative businesses to Wales, emphasizing Reclinker’s growth potential. Gabriella Nizam of 7 Steel UK noted that the Cardiff site has been a hub for industrial innovation, particularly in low-carbon steel production, and expressed pride in supporting Reclinker’s development.
