Concretene’s commercial roll out moves a step closer

Piling and pre-cast concrete manufacturer Roger Bullivant has signed a development agreement with the company behind the innovative graphene-enhanced concrete, paving the way for commercial deliveries to begin late next year.

Concretene, developed by Nationwide Engineering Research & Development and The University of Manchester’s Graphene Engineering Innovation Centre, reduces the carbon footprint of concrete by improving compressive, tensile and flexural strength and durability.

This means the amount of cement – which is responsible for more than 85% of emissions from concrete – can be reduced.

Under the terms of the development deal, Manchester-based Concretene will supply its graphene-enhanced admixture to Roger Bullivant.  

Support for the project from Roger Bullivant, which produces around 140,000 tonnes of concrete a year, includes a proposal for establishment of a pilot manufacturing plant for Concretene at its headquarters in Swadlincote in Derbyshire.   

David Clement, managing director of Roger Bullivant, said the partnership with Concretene forms a key part of the firm’s efforts to reduce its emissions. 

“As part of Soletanche Bachy and VINCI, we have an ambitious target to reduce our concrete and cement-related CO2 emissions by 20% by 2030.,” he said. 

“This exciting R&D initiative in partnership with Concretene is the next step in our carbon-reduction journey and is a critical element of our sustainability strategy.” 

Upon completion of a UK government-funded development project for pre-cast piling and foundation applications, commercial deliveries of Concretene could start in Q4 2024.   

Mike Harrison, chief operating officer of Concretene, said: “This is another significant step on our journey to commercialisation of our product and we are delighted to be working with the team at Roger Bullivant.  

“Concretene has an important role to play in helping the construction industry meet challenging net-zero targets and the establishment of pilot manufacturing will be vital as we scale our operation.”