A sustainability first; Ballymore uses low-carbon technology in 8th Lock development

Ballymore has “topped out” the first building in 8^th Lock, the final phase of its development at Royal Canal Park in Ashtown, Dublin 15. The milestone was marked at an event attended by German real estate investment manager, Union Investment, who acquired 8th Lock in 2021.

8th Lock is the first large development in Ireland or the UK to make use of a pioneering low carbon product, Carbon Cure. As part of its commitment to sustainability in all aspects of the supply chain, Ballymore has been working with Kilsaran to introduce Carbon Cure to 8th Lock, a technology where recycled CO₂ is embedded into fresh without compromising performance. To date Carbon Cure has prevented 148,051 tonnes of CO₂ being released into the atmosphere, with millions more to be sequestered into the future. 

Sean Mulryan, Chairman & Group Chief Executive of Ballymore stated: “Today marks a significant milestone as we top out our first building in 8^th Lock and we also achieved a UK and Ireland sustainability first with our use of Carbon Cure. At Ballymore, we’re committed to playing our part in a more sustainable and carbon conscious construction sector. I know Union Investments shares our drive for sustainability excellence and fully supports the use of such state-of-the-art sustainability practices.”

Martin Schellein, Head of Investment Management Europe at Union Investment Real Estate GmbH: “We were attracted to 8th Lock by Ballymore’s reputation for delivering high quality residential developments built in a sustainable manner. We are very pleased with our collaboration to date and delighted to witness this week’s important milestone. Boasting high sustainability standards and located in close proximity to Dublin City, the completed 8th Lock will be a landmark property in our European residential portfolio”.

Ballymore’s use of this low-carbon concrete product will save hundreds of tonnes of embodied carbon during construction. In another first for Ballymore, 8^th Lock is also designed to perform to the NZEB 2030 standard, which is futureproofed to ensure the development will operate at 2030 energy performance levels upon completion.

Planning for 8^th Lock at the site of the former Ormond Printworks on Rathoath Road was granted in May of 2020. When this final phase of Ballymore’s Royal Canal Park project is complete, the overall 162,000 sq m development will consist of over 1,630 homes, office space, cafes, and retail units including an already operating Aldi supermarket.