The Encobricks from manufacturer Encos are based on technology discovered at the Department of Civil Engineering at the University of Leeds.

The production process consumes no water and produces no waste while using 80% less energy than traditional brick manufacturing.

The first batch of bricks is being manufactured by Somerset based construction materials producer S Morris.

Mark Nichols, CEO of Encos said: “Validating production techniques at commercial scale is a vital step on our path to market and we are delighted to be working in this regard with S Morris Ltd, which has some of the most advanced facilities in Europe.

“The flexibility in their process enables us to trial the production of a number of product formats in a short timescale.

“We are confident that the outcomes will be very successful, and will use the information from the trials to finalise our commercial plant design.”

Brian Perry, Managing Director of S Morris said: “We see that Encos’ product range has the real potential to offer a highly sustainable option for architects and constructors and are very pleased that our facilities are of a standard and capability to contribute to their commercialisation.”