Award
Imperial Innovations’ portfolio company Novacem was announced the winner of the Rushlight Energy Environmental Award, as well as the overall Rushlight award, for its contribution to addressing environmental issues. It won due to its efforts to develop construction materials that combat global warming by trapping atmospheric CO2.
Novacem has developed an award winning cement production method that emits less CO2 than conventional methods. Conventional methods rely on limestone decomposition and the burning of fossil fuels to heat cement kilns. The cement produced using Novacem’s cement binder and low temperature manufacture process hardens by absorbing CO2, locking atmospheric CO2 into construction materials. The research was led by Nikolaos Vlasopoulos and Chris Cheeseman from the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Imperial College London, UK.
Susan Searle, of Imperial Innovations, said: “We are absolutely delighted that Novacem has won these awards. It is a further recognition that Novacem’s technology has the potential to make a huge impact to reduce CO2.”
Stuart Evans, of Novacem, said: “We have great ambitions for Novacem and aim to change the world. But it’s a big job and we know we can’t do it on our own. We have been fortunate that we have had Imperial Innovations’ support and experience from the beginning. We are growing a global eco-system of partners and investors that will add real value to achieving our goals. Winning this prestigious award will help spread the word about the difference Novacem can make.”
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