The Invest Plymouth Team recently sat down with Dr. Aissa BOUAISSI and David Young at Real Green Concrete (RGC).
Real Green Concrete is exactly that! With its ability to significantly lower carbon emissions. The process works by replacing Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC), and reducing carbon dioxide output by at least 68%, making it an environmentally responsible choice. Something all businesses need to be aware of as we head towards a Net Zero world!
RGC is produced using industrial by-products and waste materials, offering a more resource-efficient and cost-effective alternative to OPC, with energy efficiency being a major benefit as unlike traditional cement production, which relies on high-temperature kilns. RGC is manufactured through a lower-energy process, reducing both natural resource consumption and production costs.
You may recently have seen the video imbedded in this press release which says much more than we could, and worth a look! This really is a major step towards a sustainable future and we are very proud that this is taking place right here in Britain’s Ocean City.
What is the name of the company and how long have you been in Plymouth?
The company is UNA Developments Ltd (trading style Real Green Concrete "RGC") our operation was established in 2019
What is the sector that you specialise in?
UNA Developments’ Real Green Concrete (RGC) is an eco-friendly building material. It features a patented binder made from industrial by-products and waste materials, including those from steel manufacturing, power stations, and mining processes. This innovative binder is entirely Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC)-free and can be used to produce a wide range of concrete grades suitable for various construction industries and applications saving about c70% of the carbon impact of standard materials.
In 20 words, how would you describe the business?
The development and manufacture of a range of high performance OPC-free binders that have a substantially reduced Global Warming Potential (GWP) and Produce concrete with superior engineering properties.
Tell us more about the product and what is does, what sort of business collaborators are you looking for?
RGC has developed a range of specialised non-OPC binders, each tailored for different concrete applications, including high-strength, highly permeable, shock-absorbent, conductive, durable, and rapid-setting formulations. These created non-OPC binders are designed to work with various waste construction materials for concrete production.
RGC is now seeking commercial partners in the construction sector to help scale up manufacturing and bring these innovative products to market. Ideal partners include concrete manufacturers aiming to enhance the sustainability of their products, waste producers or aggregators, construction contractors, businesses with materials blending capabilities, and investors interested in funding manufacturing expansion and ongoing R&D of new binder formulations.
What is your route to market and how do you see your business growing?
We are an early-stage SME currently transitioning from lab-scale developments to field trials. Full-scale demonstrations of RGC-based structures within the precast and construction sectors were conducted between 2023 and 2025. During the development of RGC, support in sourcing raw materials, access to data, and lab facilities was provided by various partners, which has added significant credibility to UNA Developments. As a result, the patented RGC binder technology has already gained "buy-in" from key stakeholders, with successful industrial trials conducted.
Our aim is to license the production of RGC to OEMs, including cement and concrete manufacturers, positioning ourselves as a key partner in the supply chain for low carbon cement across diverse geographies and applications. Relevant partnerships and relationships are already being cultivated.
What would you say is the best thing about doing business in Plymouth?
One of our founders, David Young, has been active in the Plymouth market for many years and has extensive contacts which have proved to be very helpful in various ways. As for myself, I am Aissa the inventor, the general sense of innovation seen in the city and the support of Plymouth University has also been important in our development. It’s also a great place to work!
And what of the future … where do you see the business in 10 years’ time and which markets will you be supplying to?
We hope to have a number of specialist plants in operation in different parts of the world taking locally produced waste materials and formulating them for specific construction market opportunities via either joint ventures or licencing agreements, thereby making a considerable saving to the carbon impact of the construction sector.
And how about yourself … how long have you worked at RGC, what is your role, and how did you come up with the concept of low carbon concrete?
Well I am Dr. Aissa Bouaissi, a chemical engineer and the inventor of Real Green Concrete (RGC), I have extensive experience in both academia and industry and I discovered a groundbreaking chemical process that activates the hardening of concrete fundamentally different from the crystallisation and hydration process associated with Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC). This precisely engineered reaction can be tailored to meet diverse concrete application requirements and enables the incorporation of a wide variety of waste materials into the mix.
I have a strong background in the industry and have worked for multinational companies and am highly respected expert in OPC-free cement and sustainable materials. I have deep technical knowledge and extensive international industry connections and my prolific scientific research includes numerous publications, patents, research reports, journal articles, and contributions to international conferences.
I served as an Associate Investigator for the Tailor research project under the Horizon 2020 (H2020) programme in collaboration with the University of Plymouth, and more recently participated in the Carbon13 venture builder programme in Cambridge, gaining valuable entrepreneurial training to drive innovation and commercialisation in sustainability.
In addition to my PhD in Civil Engineering (Materials) from the University of Plymouth, I serve as the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of Real Green Concrete (RGC). Even before pursuing my PhD, I recognised the vast scale of global concrete production and the unsustainable nature of its manufacturing process. This realisation became the driving force behind my decision to further my research and develop more sustainable alternatives.
How do you spend your time outside of work?
Like most other people, I have a family, however mine are back home in Algeria, where I visit once a year during the holiday period. Luckily my wife recently joined me to live here in the UK, and in my free time I enjoy playing basketball and golf with friends.
If you could have a business lunch with anyone who could significantly influence you/the business, who would that be and why?
Prince William to show him how our project could contribute to the reduction of Global Warming and possibly be suitable for his Earth Shot project.