Kayasand, a New Zealand distributor of sand manufacturing technology, is working to produce more sustainable concrete with up to 20 per cent less carbon emissions.

To help achieve its aims, it has received NZD3.5m (US$2.1m) from New Zealand Green Investment Finance and NZD1.8m from private investors.

The company’s technology removes water and sand mining from the concrete equation, according to the Waikato Times. As a result, the technology can reduce or in some cases eliminate the need for natural sand dredging, according to Dr Bram Smith, Kayasand’s general manager. It uses by-products and recycled materials such as quarry crusher dust and recycled glass to manufacture sand of such quality that it makes stronger concrete than natural sand when mixed with cement, he says.

The technology is based on a New Zealand invention that was developed in Japan and used in over 300 plants across Japan, China, India and Australia. Dr Smith said the company’s process is dry, as opposed to the current method that uses water to process crusher dust.

The company has set up its first plant in Waikato, New Zealand, which is expected to open next month. Kayasand plans to be operating 40 plants in New Zealand and Australia by 2030.