Low Carbon Materials

Low Carbon Materials (LCM) is a materials science company developing high-performance additives intended to reduce the carbon footprint of two of construction's most widely used materials: concrete and asphalt. Its stated approach centres on "drop-in" products that require minimal changes to existing manufacturing workflows and equipment, so that producers can adopt them without reconfiguring plants or accepting reductions in structural performance.

The company markets two named products. ACLA is described as a carbon-negative additive applicable to both asphalt and concrete, and is presented as requiring no special storage or handling equipment. OSTO is a second product aimed at concrete. LCM frames the addressable problem in terms of the scale of the underlying markets: 2-3 billion tonnes of asphalt used annually for road construction and maintenance, and concrete accounting for around 8% of global emissions as the most widely used substance on earth after water.

Business model

LCM supplies additive products to producers and users of asphalt and concrete, positioning itself as an "innovation partner" to the construction sector rather than a materials producer in its own right.

Traction

Customer and public-sector testimonials indicate deployment or evaluation of ACLA: Tynedale Roadstone Ltd's head of research and product development describes using ACLA and views it as a carbon-reduction tool for 2025; a Durham County Council corporate director for neighbourhoods and climate change describes the material's role in lowering emissions on resurfacing works; and a director at Kensons Highways describes evaluating the product for Redbridge after meeting LCM at Highways UK.