Could this innovation provide a concrete solution to the climate crisis?
Two firms have joined forces to permanently store carbon dioxide (CO2) in concrete using pioneering innovation to help fight climate change.
The ground-breaking partnership between Californian-based Heirloom and CarbonCure Technologies in Canada has seen CO2 captured in a series of tests via direct air capture (DAC) technology.
The milestone demonstration project has been underway at Heirloom’s headquarters in Brisbane, California, where the company runs America’s only operational DAC facility. The Microsoft-backed start-up uses limestone to extract CO2 from the air as it is inexpensive and easy to obtain.
The process to remediate climate damage
The limestone is broken down into calcium oxide rock and CO2 gas, during the cyclic process, using a renewable energy-powered electric kiln to provide the heat.
The calcium oxide, once spread onto virtual trays, acts like a sponge to absorb CO2 from the air before it is returned to the kiln for a repeat procedure and the captured gas can then be stored safely underground or embedded in concrete.
Using its reclaimed water technology, CarbonCure Technologies injected the captured CO2 into the wastewater (collected from washing out concrete trucks) at a Central Concrete batch plant in San Jose, California. The CO2 then immediately reacts with cement in the water and mineralizes, permanently storing the CO2 and creating greener cement for reuse at various construction projects across the Bay Area.
The CO2 will not be returned to the atmosphere, even if the concrete is demolished, as it is sequestered as calcium carbonate.
The power of CO2 storage
The global building stock is expected to double by 2060 - equivalent to building another New York City every month - therefore concrete’s ability to store immense quantities of carbon dioxide in our built environment has opened new opportunities.
With a global transition towards generating zero-carbon energy, DAC technologies will be vital to mitigate previous carbon emissions and help decarbonize industries as they scale solutions to reduce carbon.
DAC technologies have recently received financial backing from the U.S. government through the Department of Energy’s $3.5bn DAC hub program and the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA).
Concrete is the world’s most used building material due to its durability, providing excellent permanent storage for CO2, at a crucial time when the world must eliminate all CO2 emissions by 2040, to meet the 1.5-degree climate target.
The built environment generates 40 percent of annual global CO2 emissions, comprising 27 percent from building operations and 13 percent from building, infrastructure materials and construction (otherwise known as embodied carbon).
A future with less CO2
Heirloom builds inexpensive DAC technology that permanently removes CO2 from the atmosphere, with a real path towards removing one billion tons of CO2 by 2035.
CarbonCure Technologies is a global leader in permanent carbon storage in concrete, licensing a series of carbon mineralization solutions for global concrete plants.
Central Concrete, a subsidiary of Vulcan Materials Company, was the first concrete supplier in the Bay Area to use CarbonCure’s technologies for ready-mixed concrete, and continually offers innovative solutions for building and infrastructure projects. The technical team focuses on sustainability and cutting-edge research to provide robust solutions for the built environment.
Robert Niven, Chair and CEO of CarbonCure Technologies, said: “This demonstration project is a global milestone for carbon removal technology that confirms concrete’s enormous potential as a climate solution that can permanently store carbon in our most essential infrastructure - from roads and runways to hospitals and housing.”
“We’re thrilled to be collaborating with Heirloom and Central Concrete on this ground-breaking world first.”
Shashank Samala, CEO of Heirloom, said: “The science is clear: In order to reach climate goals we must remove billions of tons of already emitted CO2 from the atmosphere each year.
“This is an important step toward that future and shows the promise of DAC technologies combined with smart, permanent methods of sequestration.”
Shaun Andah, Consultant – Sustainable Energy at Acre USA, said: “Heirloom and CarbonCure Technologies’ collaboration to permanently store CO2 in the concrete is a prime example of a new wave of carbon storage and removal technologies that are seamlessly incorporated into the production process.
“It is not enough for companies to design processes to remove and store carbon; there also needs to be a push to incorporate these technologies into production processes that would put carbon into the atmosphere in the first place. Companies like CarbonCure are changing the way we build out cities and helping to create a more sustainable and net zero future.”
Je, ubunifu huu unaweza kutoa suluhisho halisi kwa mgogoro wa hali ya hewa? Kampuni mbili zimeungana kuhifadhi kaboni dioksidi (CO2) kwa kudumu katika saruji kwa kutumia uvumbuzi wa upainia kusaidia kupambana na mabadiliko ya hali ya hewa. Ushirikiano kati ya Heirloom na CarbonCure Technologies, uliofanyika mnamo Oktoba, ulionyesha kuwa CO2 imekamatwa katika mfululizo wa majaribio kupitia teknolojia ya kukamata hewa moja kwa moja (DAC). Mradi wa maonyesho ya kihistoria umekuwa ukiendelea katika makao makuu ya Heirloom huko Brisbane, California, ambapo kampuni hiyo inaendesha kituo cha pekee cha DAC cha Amerika. Kampuni hiyo ya Microsoft inatumika kwa kutumia mawe ya chokaa ili kuondoa CO2 kutoka angani kwa sababu ni rahisi kupata na haina gharama kubwa. Mzunguko wa kutengeneza miamba ya chokaa ya joto ya joto ya joto ya joto ya joto ya joto ya joto ya joto ya joto ya joto ya joto ya joto ya joto ya joto ya joto ya joto ya joto. Oxide ya kalsiamu, mara moja kuenea juu ya trays virtual, hufanya kama sifongo ya kunyonya CO2 kutoka hewa kabla ya kurudi kwenye tanuru kwa utaratibu wa kurudia, na gesi iliyochukuliwa inaweza kuhifadhiwa salama chini ya ardhi au kuingizwa katika saruji. Kwa kutumia teknolojia yake ya maji yaliyotengenezwa upya, CarbonCure Technologies ilichanganya CO2 iliyokamatwa katika maji taka (yaliyokusanywa kutoka kuosha malori ya saruji) katika kiwanda cha mzunguko wa saruji ya Kati huko San Jose, California. CO2 huingiliana na saruji katika maji na kuhifadhi, na kuunda saruji ya kijani kwa ajili ya matumizi ya ujenzi katika maeneo mbalimbali ya Bay Area. CO2 haitarudishwa kwenye angahewa, hata ikiwa saruji imeharibiwa, kwani huhifadhiwa kama kalsiamu kaboni. Kwa sababu ya uwezo wa kongwe kuhifadhi kiasi kikubwa cha kaboni dioksidi katika mazingira yetu yaliyojengwa, uwezo wa kongwe kuhifadhi kiasi kikubwa cha kaboni dioksidi katika mazingira yetu yaliyojengwa umefungua fursa mpya. Pamoja na mabadiliko ya kimataifa kuelekea kuzalisha nishati ya kaboni sifuri, teknolojia za DAC zitakuwa muhimu kupunguza uzalishaji wa kaboni wa zamani na kusaidia kuondoa kaboni katika viwanda wakati wa kuongeza suluhisho za kupunguza kaboni. DAC imepokea msaada wa kifedha kutoka kwa Serikali ya Marekani kupitia mpango wa DAC wa $ 3.5bn wa Wizara ya Nishati na Sheria ya Kupunguza Mfumuko wa Bei (IRA). "Betoni ni vifaa vya ujenzi vinavyotumiwa zaidi ulimwenguni kwa sababu ya uthabiti wake, na hutoa uhifadhi bora wa kudumu wa CO2 wakati muhimu wakati ulimwengu lazima uondoe uzalishaji wote wa CO2 ifikapo mwaka wa 2040, ili kufikia lengo la hali ya hewa ya ""degree 1.5.""" "Ujenzi wa mazingira huunda asilimia 40 ya uzalishaji wa CO2 wa kila mwaka, ikiwa ni pamoja na asilimia 27 kutoka kwa shughuli za ujenzi na asilimia 13 kutoka kwa ujenzi, vifaa vya miundombinu na ujenzi (kama vile ""carbon embodied.""" "Kama ""Mungu wa siku zijazo na CO2 kidogo"" Heirloom inajenga teknolojia ya bei nafuu ya DAC ambayo huondoa CO2 kutoka angahewa kwa kudumu, na njia halisi ya kuondoa tani bilioni moja ya CO2 ifikapo 2035."" CarbonCure Technologies ni kiongozi wa kimataifa katika kuhifadhi kaboni ya kudumu katika saruji, kutoa leseni ya mfululizo wa suluhisho za madini ya kaboni kwa mimea ya saruji ya kimataifa. Central Concrete, kampuni tanzu ya Vulcan Materials, ilikuwa muuzaji wa kwanza wa saruji katika eneo la Bay kutumia teknolojia za CarbonCure kwa saruji iliyochanganywa tayari, na inatoa suluhisho za ubunifu kwa miradi ya ujenzi na miundombinu. Timu ya kiufundi inazingatia uendelevu na utafiti wa hali ya juu ili kutoa suluhisho thabiti kwa mazingira yaliyojengwa. "Robert Niven, Mwenyekiti na Mkurugenzi Mtendaji wa CarbonCure Technologies, alisema: ""Mradi huu wa maonyesho ni hatua muhimu ya kimataifa kwa teknolojia ya kuondoa kaboni ambayo inathibitisha uwezekano mkubwa wa saruji kama suluhisho la hali ya hewa ambalo linaweza kuhifadhi kaboni kwa kudumu katika miundombinu yetu muhimu zaidi - kutoka barabara na runways hadi hospitali na nyumba. ""Tunafurahi kushirikiana na Heirloom na Central Concrete kwenye ulimwengu huu wa kwanza. """ "Hii ni hatua muhimu kuelekea siku zijazo na inaonyesha ahadi ya teknolojia za DAC pamoja na mbinu za akili, za kudumu za kuhifadhi, ""Shaun Andah, Mshauri wa Nishati Endelevu katika Acre USA, alisema: ""Ushirikiano wa Hearst na CarbonCure Technologies kuhifadhi CO2 kwa kudumu katika saruji ni mfano bora wa wimbi jipya la teknolojia za kuhifadhi na kuondoa kaboni ambazo zinajumuishwa katika mchakato wa uzalishaji." "Si kutosha kwa makampuni kubuni taratibu za kuondoa na kuhifadhi kaboni; pia kuna haja ya kushinikiza kuingiza teknolojia hizi katika taratibu za uzalishaji ambazo zingeweka kaboni katika anga kwanza. """ Kampuni kama vile CarbonCure zinabadilisha njia tunayojenga miji na kusaidia kuunda siku zijazo endelevu na safi.