Aspiring Materials

Shrinking industry’s carbon footprint

Aspiring Materials' breakthrough Aspiring Process means industries and countries can reduce their reliance on high-carbon imported materials and cut both direct emissions (Scope 1) and wider supply-chain emissions associated with conventionally produced minerals (Scope 3).

ChristchurchNZ sat down with Aspiring Materials founder Christopher Oze, CEO Mark Chadderton and Lead Chemical Process Engineer Megan Danczyk to discuss its practical applications and the company’s vision of a regenerative economy.

Can you explain what Aspiring Materials does and how its technology helps reduce carbon emissions?

Mark: We transform a rock called olivine into valuable materials like silica, iron oxide, nickel, cobalt, and magnesium hydroxide. Using a sustainable process, we break down and ‘digest’ the rock to produce our products. At the end of the process, we regenerate what’s left and this creates a closed-loop waste free system. All it requires is rock, water, and clean power.

As well as the minerals and materials our process produces, we also generate hydrogen and oxygen, which can be used as clean fuel. The one thing we don’t generate is CO2 emissions.

Megan: Our minerals and materials help decarbonise industries in a range of ways. For example, our silica can replace traditional products like Portland cement and our magnesium enables effective and safe CO2 capture from the air or industrial emissions. In all, for every one tonne of rock we process, we produce products that can reduce up to 1.6 tonnes of CO2 emissions.

Could you elaborate on the materials you're creating to help industries transition away from fossil fuels?

Christopher: One example is a reactive silica that can replace 15% to 30% of Portland cement. This substitution significantly reduces the emissions associated with cement production. We also make nickel-cobalt-manganese hydroxide targeted at electric vehicle batteries, with zero CO2 emissions. Traditional production methods release up to 40 tonnes of CO2 per tonne of product, but our process eliminates this.

Megan: Magnesium hydroxide and oxide make up 50% of our production. By replacing traditional magnesium production, which emits 2-4 tonnes of CO2 per tonne, our process eliminates emissions. With 50,000 tonnes used annually in New Zealand, our method could decarbonise multiple industries

How did this approach come about?

Mark: The origins of our technology trace back to research done about 12 years ago at the University of Canterbury. A team there was focused on creating building materials for Mars. Since you can’t bring materials from Earth to Mars, the challenge was to figure out how to use local resources (including rocks and sunlight) to produce what was needed for construction. They developed a process to regenerate acids and bases, allowing them to continuously create building materials.

The team soon realised that one of the products they were producing, magnesium hydroxide, had significant potential here on Earth. This led to a shift in focus – from building on Mars to tackling climate change on Earth.

Are you working with industries in Christchurch?

Mark: We’re collaborating with the red zone redevelopment team to explore how our products, like silica and magnesium carbonate, can be used in building materials to decarbonise construction. We've also demonstrated how we can integrate our process into the cement manufacturing process to produce near-zero concrete by eliminating emissions in their production. Added to that, we can improve water treatment processes with magnesium hydroxide sourced locally, reducing the need for high-emission imports.

So, this is approach is good for the environment and economic growth?

Mark: As we grow, we'll see more high-quality jobs across various sectors and explore new industries to diversify New Zealand's economy. Currently, no one in New Zealand produces mixed hydroxide for the battery sector or magnesium hydroxide to replace harmful imports used in industries like dairy. Developing these industries locally presents significant opportunities to reduce imports, boost exports, and strengthen the economy while creating a sustainable future.