Carbon8 scoops top award

Carbon8 Systems, the first major spin-out company from the University of Greenwich, scooped the prestigious Green Chemical Technology Award.

Carbon8 Systems, the first major spin-out company from the University of Greenwich, scooped the prestigious Green Chemical Technology Award at the 2006 Institution of Chemical Engineers (IChemE) Awards ceremony.

Carbon8 Systems uses accelerated carbonation technology (ACT) to treat hazardous wastes and remediate contaminated soil.

The process produces inert secondary aggregates, which can be used in construction and engineering projects.

And significant quantities of waste carbon dioxide are locked into the new material.

Carbon8 Systems has been developed by Dr Paula Carey and Dr Colin Hills, of the University of Greenwich at Medway, in collaboration with Professor Stefaan Simons, of University College London.

They were presented with their award by popular science broadcaster Adam Hart-Davies, at the Banqueting House, Whitehall, London.

Carbon8 Systems fought off stiff competition for the prestigious award from other universities and multi-national companies.

Dr Paula Carey, of Carbon8 Systems, said: "This award is an acknowledgement of our success in creating a green solution to handling hazardous waste materials".

"Our pilot plant is currently being built with Skipaway, in Medway, and will be up and running early next year.

The technique not only renders polluted waste and soils inert but it is low cost and extremely fast - taking just minutes rather than the days and weeks required by other techniques.

"If widely adopted, this could be responsible for capturing more than one million tonnes of waste carbon dioxide and meeting five per cent of the UK carbon emission reduction target for 2012".

Wastes successfully treated by Carbon8 Systems include slag from steel manufacture, galigu from soap production, contaminated soil from firework manufacture, North Sea oil drill cuttings, cement kiln residue and water treatment sludges.

Presenting the award IChemE President Greg Lewin said: "The diversity of entries in this year's programme serves only to illustrate that chemical engineering truly is a profession without boundaries".

"Chemical and process engineers are playing a major role in finding innovative solutions to some of the biggest challenges facing society".

The development of Carbon8 Systems has been assisted by South East Proof of Concept funding.

The university team has also worked closely with Sittingbourne and Medway Enterprise Hubs, Business Link and the Kent corporate and commercial law specialists, Vertex Law.

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