O.C.O Technology welcomes Breckland Council to their East Wretham plant
O.C.O Technology were delighted to welcome leaders from Breckland Council to its manufacturing plant in East Wretham, Norfolk on Friday 15th May 2026.
During the visit, Council Leader Sam Chapman-Allen, and Executive Director Jason Cole, toured O.C.O’s carbon capture facility and saw first-hand how the company transforms thermal ash generated from energy-from-waste facilities, which would otherwise go to landfill, into a sustainable aggregate for use in the built environment.
O.C.O secured funding through Breckland Council’s Rural Business Growth Grant to support the replacement of its existing water storage infrastructure. The £30,000 grant was awarded through the Rural England Prosperity Fund (REPF), which supports small businesses and community infrastructure in rural areas.
Each year, the Wretham plant processes up to 100,000 of thermal ash using O.C.O’s Accelerated Carbonation Technology (ACT) to manufacture up to 250,000 tonnes of carbon-neutral aggregate, while also generating high-value carbon credits making them a carbon-negative business.
Water plays a vital role in transforming ash into sustainable aggregate. O.C.O’s existing water storage tank was leaking and no longer met the needs of the business. Its instrumentation and control systems also required upgrading to support the plant’s continued growth and to help protect environmental performance and operational efficiency.
The grant has helped safeguard the business continuity, strengthen environmental protection, support local jobs and contribute to economic growth in the region, while reinforcing O.C.O’s wider sustainability strategy and future expansion plans.
Paul Barber, Site Manager at O.C.O Technology, said: “When we relocated our manufacturing operations from Brandon to East Wretham, we inherited an archaic water storage system that frequently resulted in water loss during our processing. With rising operational costs and unnecessary pressure on the local utility network, we identified the need to make significant improvements to our water infrastructure.
Financial support from the Breckland Council Rural Business Growth Grant has enabled us to accelerate these essential upgrades. This has included introducing enhanced system controls, rainwater harvesting initiatives, and modern, leak-free storage solutions. As a result, we have significantly reduced our reliance on local water supply minimising our impact on both the local community and environment.”
During the visit, Breckland Council presented the O.C.O with an award certificate in recognition of the project.
