Greenwich scientists praised for carbon capture work

The process can convert contaminated soil and industrial waste into harmless pebbles which can be recycled as a construction material, and even has potential to help dispose of radio-active waste.

The scientists, who have set up a company - Carbon8 Systems - to develop the business potential, were invited to 10 Downing Street recently with other businesses leading innovation in the low carbon economy.

Prime Minister Gordon Brown said: "Our transition to a low carbon economy will be a key driver of our future economic prosperity. Carbon8 Systems is at the forefront of this transformation. Their innovation and expertise demonstrates why the UK is one of the best places in the world for low carbon business."

Dr Hills (pictured below right with Dr Carey) explained to The Wharf the basics of the process.

He said: "Many minerals found naturally can be produced artificially, usually as by products from other processes. They are very reactive with CO2 but the reaction is very slow in the environment. What we have done is speed it up.

"The result is we make limestone, which is very innocuous and can be used in a host of different ways, such as aggregates.

"The process is not energy intensive, we use normal pressure and heat, so it's pretty green. As much as 30 per cent by weight of some materials is CO2, so in one tonne you could have 300 kilos of carbon dioxide. There is the potential to lock away a lot of CO2 indeed."

Dr Hills and Dr Carey's breakthrough was the culmination of a decade's work and Dr Hills admitted the pair did reach a point when it all came together.

He said: "We did have a eureka moment. It's one of those simple ideas, like the zip, where we just thought, why has nobody thought of this before? We had been we were looking at ways of mixing waste products with cement and just grew from there."

Dr Hills and Dr Carey were disappointed not to be invited to present their process at the Copenhagen summit.

Dr Hills said: "There were companies from the United States who were invited over, which meant a lot more carbon emissions."

Their company, Carbon8 Systems, is developing the business potential, and according to Dr Hills the future is very promising.

He said: "We've been working with companies like Shell and BP at how to do the capture on a bigger scale. It can be used in something like a small power station to capture the emissions from towers. There are lots of possibilities.

"We're exploring lots of things but what would really help would be some major investment to speed things along."

For more information on the process contact Dr Hills at colinhills@c8s.co.uk or Dr Carey at paulacarey@c8s.co.uk.