Verde and Highway International Sign Agreement to Advance Carbon-Sequestering Roads in Singapore
Verde Resources and Singapore-based asphalt and road construction specialist Highway International have signed a strategic Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to explore the deployment of carbon-sequestering road infrastructure in Singapore.
Under the agreement, Verde Resources Asia Pacific Private Limited, Verde’s wholly owned Singapore subsidiary, will work with Highway to validate Verde’s engineered biochar-based carbon platform, known as the Verde Net Zero Blueprint. The companies expect to begin a pilot program this year focused on evaluating material performance, production readiness, pavement mix designs, testing procedures, carbon accounting and potential commercial applications.
If the pilot is successfully completed and approved, the companies intend to enter into definitive agreements that would see Highway become Verde’s Net Zero Blueprint licensee in Singapore. The technology could then be applied to roads, airfield pavements and other infrastructure projects designed to sequester carbon.
At the centre of the initiative is biochar, a stable carbon-rich material produced by thermally converting biomass waste. Verde plans to use biomass residues, including palm oil waste that is widely available across Southeast Asia, as a feedstock. Instead of allowing the carbon contained in the biomass to return to the atmosphere through decomposition, the process converts it into biochar that can retain the carbon for long periods.
Verde further processes the biochar through its proprietary technology to create an engineered material designed specifically for road applications. By incorporating this material into asphalt mixes, the company aims to embed biogenic carbon within roads and other infrastructure, turning conventional built assets into long-term carbon sinks.
The Verde Net Zero Blueprint combines engineered biochar with asphalt and pavement technologies as well as carbon-credit accounting tools. The platform is also designed to incorporate life-cycle assessments, environmental product declarations, carbon accounting and digital project-data tracking. Together, these components are intended to help infrastructure developers measure environmental performance and potentially generate verifiable carbon removal credits.
The Singapore collaboration builds on Verde’s earlier work to establish independent validation and certification for its technology. In April, the company announced a collaboration with Isometric, a carbon-removal certifier, to advance the certification and commercialization of its engineered biochar for asphalt and other road construction applications.
Highway International brings decades of road construction and asphalt expertise to the project. Founded in 1975, the company is a major asphalt producer and contractor in Singapore and has supported the development of the country’s urban infrastructure. Highway also served as an asphalt specialist for the Singapore Formula 1 street circuit during its inaugural race in 2008, developing and paving the circuit’s asphalt surface course.
The companies see the pilot as an opportunity to assess not only the carbon-sequestration potential of the technology but also its practical performance in real infrastructure applications. Testing pavement mixes under Singaporean conditions could provide data needed to determine how engineered biochar can be incorporated into commercial road construction while maintaining required performance standards.
Eric Bava, Chief Operating Officer of Verde Resources, said the collaboration represents an important milestone in the company’s product validation and international market development efforts. He said combining Highway’s pavement expertise with Verde’s carbon platform could help establish Singapore as a centre for sustainable, high-performance infrastructure.
Highway’s management said the partnership could demonstrate how roads and other infrastructure can move beyond their traditional functions and become part of broader efforts to address climate change by storing carbon.
For Verde, Singapore is intended to serve as a launchpad for a broader international licensing strategy. The company plans to use the country as a demonstration market for adapting its Net Zero Blueprint to local infrastructure, production and regulatory conditions before expanding the model across the Asia-Pacific region.
The company’s strategy is based on developing a scalable and repeatable model that combines engineered biochar, infrastructure applications and digital measurement, reporting and verification. Singapore’s established infrastructure, sustainability policies and position as a regional commercial hub make it a potential showcase for the approach.
At the same time, Verde is pursuing growth in North America through its existing agreement with Ergon Asphalt & Emulsions. The company says its international and domestic initiatives are also part of its broader strategy to expand its customer base and pursue a listing of its common stock on the Nasdaq Stock Market.
The MoU does not yet constitute a definitive licensing agreement. Further commercial deployment will depend on successful completion and approval of the proposed pilot, followed by the negotiation and execution of definitive licensing or other agreements between Verde and Highway.
