Problem addressed

Unyte Hemp is addressing the challenge of production at scale of low-carbon bio-based construction materials, cultivated and manufactured in the UK, for use in the main stream construction sectors.

Overview of start-up

Unyte Bioconstruct is producing low-carbon construction materials from industrial Hemp. Hemp absorbs 22 Tons per hectare of atmospheric carbon during it’s 4-month growth cycle and it produces 4 times the biomass of the same size area of forest, making it a far more sustainable source of materials. Hemp has natural anti-microbial properties, so passively cleans the air in buildings and has high capacity for moisture absorption, allowing for a controlled atmosphere within buildings.

Benefits include:

  • The regulation of internal humidity preventing damp and mould. The passive regulation of humidity also reduces the need for active ventilation.
  • Contains no VOCs or toxic materials.
  • Non-flammable insulation material
  • Alleviates fuel poverty through performance.
  • Cellulose aggregate from hemp plant is renewable in a 34 month annual growing cycle
  • At end of life components can be reclaimed and reused.
  • Sequesters carbon during the growth of the hemp.
  • Hemp will be grown in the UK, and all the minerals in the hempcrete binder are sourced from the UK, meaning resilient local supply chains which are open, transparent and fair.
  • Good acoustic performance.

What makes the start-up innovative

Unyte Hemp are vertically integrating the supply chain, from seed through to finished products, producing 3 different products for the construction sector – at full capacity they will be cultivating 32,000 acres of hemp which will sequester >414,000 tonnes of CO2 annually, while providing 5m Hempcrete blocks and 10.5k houses worth of non-woven insulation.

How the start-up has been designed to scale-up quickly

Unyte Hemp are installing 6X the processing capacity that is currently available in the UK for Hemp decortication (12t/hr) with onsite secondary processing to manufacture the 3 finished products. They have been undertaking research cultivations to ensure they have accurate data to scale the production model.