Palaszczuk Government supports green concrete project to slash carbon emissions

A Queensland family business behind eco-friendly concrete reducing carbon emissions is set to become a global player with support from the Palaszczuk Government.

Minister for Innovation, Science and the Digital Economy Leeanne Enoch said today (Sunday) the Earth Friendly Concrete (EFC) produced by Toowoomba-based Wagners received $250,000 under the Advance Queensland Ignite Ideas Fund.

Ms Enoch said the new concrete – which has already found international customers – was used to build the family’s Brisbane West Wellcamp Airport.

“This project could see Queensland become a global leader in environmentally friendly concrete production by reducing carbon emissions,” Ms Enoch said.

“It has the potential to generate more than 80 jobs initially, and hundreds more into the future,” Ms Enoch said.

Earth Friendly Concrete uses a geopolymer binder system made from the chemical activation of industrial waste by-products, with the technology reducing the carbon emissions associated with normal Portland cement by 80 to 90 per cent. It equals or betters the engineering and construction properties of normal cement.

Head of Wagners’ concrete division Joe Wagner said: “We are already gaining significant interest for EFC applications in international markets and have a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in place between Wagners and India's JSW Group’s - JSW Cement.

“JSW Cement is one of the leading brands in India, and EFC will add value to the downstream by-products of JSW’s steel and power generation businesses which makes it a perfect fit.”

To meet growing domestic and international demand, Wagners will scale-up commercial production of tailor-made hardener chemicals used in the “top secret formula” to produce EFC.

“The opportunity provided by the Ignite Ideas Fund is the first step in allowing us to manufacture commercial quantities of our additive, and will mean we are a significant step closer to improving the cost and overall performance of EFC,” Mr Wagner said.

The Ignite Ideas Fund is part of the Palaszczuk Government’s $420 million Advance Queensland initiative. The government has now supported more than 200 Queensland businesses with $26.5 million in funding through three rounds of the Ignite Ideas Fund – driving more than a thousand new jobs.

“This government is providing these innovative businesses – independently assessed in a highly competitive process - with opportunities to take their amazing ideas to new levels, and new markets,” Ms Enoch said.

Visit the Advance Queensland Ignite Ideas Fund webpage for more information on the program and its recipients.

ENDS

MEDIA 0412 393 909