The funding round was co-led by climate technology investors Clean Growth Fund and AP Ventures, with further participation from Development Bank of Wales, Kibo Invest and existing investors including Zero Carbon Capital and Cambridge Enterprise.
The investment will support the scale-up of Reclinker’s production in Cardiff, creating skilled green jobs in the area, as well as enabling the company to replicate its technology at additional electric arc furnace (EAF) sites across Europe and the US.
Bill Yost, CEO of Reclinker, said: “We are thrilled to have received backing from both our existing and incoming investors. This oversubscribed round sends a strong signal that UK investors are serious about decarbonisation.
“We are particularly glad this investment will support the growth of green industries in Wales.”
Cement recycling
Reclinker has developed a process to recover cement paste from construction and demolition waste and turn it back into clinker – the key ingredient in cement.
The technology was developed at the University of Cambridge. It uses EAFs already used in steel recycling to produce new cement and recycled steel simultaneously.
According to the company, the process requires no kiln, quarried limestone or fossil-fuel-driven heat. The cementitious slag produced is expected to deliver a reduction in emissions, while remaining at cost parity with conventional cement.
Cement is responsible for approximately 7% of global CO₂ emissions, with the majority of these emissions coming from clinker production. This includes emissions generated by the calcination of limestone, alongside fossil fuels used to provide the high temperatures required in conventional kilns.
Stephen Price, Investment Partner at Clean Growth Fund, commented: “Cement is one of the most challenging sectors to decarbonise, with emissions deeply embedded in both process chemistry and energy use.
“Reclinker’s approach is a compelling example of how industrial symbiosis can unlock meaningful emissions reductions by leveraging existing infrastructure.”
Production at 7 Steel UK site
The company has already produced thousands of tonnes of material at 7 Steel UK’s site in Cardiff and secured its first commercial sales.
The technology uses the existing steel recycling infrastructure, allowing cement production to take place alongside electric arc furnace steelmaking.
Gabriella Nizam, Head of Sustainability and Public Affairs at 7 Steel UK, added: “We have been pleased to contribute to the development of this world-first technology at our Cardiff site operations.
“Reclinker has demonstrated how existing steel recycling infrastructure can help unlock a lower-carbon future for cement production, creating both environmental and economic benefits as the technology scale.”
The process also comes as the supply of blast-furnace slag – traditionally used to produce lower-carbon cement blends – is expected to decline as steelmakers move away from blast-furnace production towards electric arc furnaces.
Reclinker said this is leaving concrete producers increasingly short of the low-carbon materials they need, with its recycled cement product designed to help fill the gap.
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