Norfolk-based carbon capture specialist O.C.O Technology welcomed The Lady Dannatt, MBE, HM Lord-Lieutenant of Norfolk, to its Wretham operation on Thursday, March 13.
As HM The King’s representative, Lady Dannatt presented Group Chief Executive Officer Steve Greig with the King’s Award for Enterprise: Sustainable Development 2024. The prestigious award consisted of a Grant of Appointment and an engraved glass plaque bearing the Emblem.
Speaking to an audience of around 120 guests, including O.C.O customers from as far afield as Japan, Spain, Italy and the US, Lady Dannatt said: “I am absolutely delighted to be here today for this very, very special presentation of the King’s Award for Enterprise: Sustainable Development 2024.
“The handover of industry awards on behalf of His Majesty is always a delightful duty, and I have been given the most phenomenal tour here today, which is probably one of the most interesting I have been on. The award is clearly very well deserved.
“These awards have become the most prestigious recognition a company can receive and are proof that UK businesses are increasingly visionary in leading the world in the development of new environmentally sustainable practices. Huge congratulations to O.C.O Technology.”
Assisting Lady Dannatt was Deputy Lieutenant, Lieutenant Colonel Ian Lonsdale TD, who officially presented the Grant of Appointment, signed by His Majesty the King.
O.C.O uses innovative carbon capture technology to treat various waste materials, turning them into a carbon negative aggregate used within the construction industry. The carbon captured within the process also enables O.C.O to offer its own verified Carbon Removal Units which are sold through the voluntary market.
To mark the occasion, Steve Greig presented the Lord-Lieutenant with a certificate announcing it had retired one carbon credit in her name – representing the verified removal of one tonne of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. This represents 431 average UK car journeys and is equivalent to the amount of CO2 absorbed by 45 trees in a year.
Steve said: “We were honoured to welcome Lady Dannatt to our facility and to have the opportunity to share insight into our groundbreaking work.
“The fact we could assure Lady Dannatt that her attendance was genuinely carbon-negative made the occasion even more special and was a perfect way to demonstrate the benefits of our high-quality carbon credits.
“Receiving our King’s Award has been an absolute pinnacle of our success, and we are hugely proud of our achievements. Not only has it underlined our own commitment to carbon capture and sustainability, but we are now able to fly the flag for UK technology around the world in an even bigger and better way than we did before.”
Among other attendees was Cllr Keith Gilbert, Chairman of Breckland Council, and during his speech Steve also thanked the council for its support.
Prior to the presentation, Lady Dannatt enjoyed a tour of O.C.O’s £10 million manufacturing facility, first visiting the test laboratory to see how the aggregate blends are mixed, before viewing the manufacturing lines and talking to the team to understand more about the production processes. The tour ended with an overview of the different-sized aggregates ready for delivery to the construction sector.
Speaking afterwards, the Lord-Lieutenant said: “I found the tour very surprising and deeply impressive. I am not a scientist, but the concept was quite extraordinary, and the fact that the aggregate is carbon-negative is quite phenomenal.
“If this is the way forward, it is to be commended on every level. O.C.O has a fantastic team and a fantastic product, and this was a brilliant experience. I am very proud that here in Norfolk we have such cutting-edge technology solutions.”
O.C.O Chairman Richard Skehens, who hosted Lady Dannatt during her visit, also paid tribute to colleagues Karen Finch and Dr Peter Gunning for their hard work in compiling the King’s Award entry form.
One of four O.C.O facilities across the UK, the new production facility at Wretham opened in autumn 2023, bringing 25 new jobs to the area. A further £5m expansion programme will see a third production line open later this year, enabling the facility to process up to 100,000 tonnes of residues per annum, producing around 250,000 tonnes of manufactured aggregate.
When the awards were announced last May, O.C.O was one of only 28 organisations nationwide to be named as a recipient in the Sustainable Development category. It was
commended for adding value to stakeholders’ environmental performance (through carbon reductions and waste avoided), while its research and development programme was highlighted for fostering innovation in new product applications, such as asphalt and concrete.
O.C.O’s pioneering Accelerated Carbonation Technology (ACT) treats Air Pollution Control residues (APCr), predominantly from EfW facilities, with carbon dioxide gas. The process transforms it into a manufactured aggregate which, because more CO2 is permanently captured than is used in the manufacturing process, is recognised as the world’s first carbon negative aggregate.
With additional UK operations in Leeds, Avonmouth and at Brandon in Suffolk, further afield, O.C.O is looking to take their technology overseas, with plants already in build in Japan and Spain as well as active projects in a number of other areas including Europe, Australia and North America.
