The carbon impact of Solidia Technologies® cement and concrete has surpassed four million kilograms (8.8 million lbs) through the combination of emissions reduction and carbon capture achieved during production. Solidia’s technology allows for a 30% reduction in carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions (245 kg) in the production of cement. Coupled with the capture of an additional 240 kg of CO2 during the CO2-curing process in concrete, equal to 24% of the cement mass, Solidia’s systems can reduce the carbon footprint of cement and concrete by up to 70%.
“We’re proud to celebrate Earth Day with a measurable and proven impact on the environment, while offering meaningful value to industry and with the potential to do so much more,” said Solidia President and CEO Tom Schuler. “Our technology impacts both ends of the global carbon challenge by lowering emissions and capturing and safely sequestering CO2 in an industry large enough to move the needle.”
Solidia takes a giant step that will leave a small footprint. When applied globally, each year it will reduce:
- the carbon footprint of concrete by up to 70%, equaling 1.5 gigatonnes or ~4% of the world’s CO2 emissions;
- water usage up to 100%, avoiding the consumption of three trillion liters of fresh water consumed in the production of ordinary Portland cement (OPC)…enough to fill one million Olympic swimming pools;
- energy consumption at cement plants equal to ~260 million barrels of oil (or 67 million tonnes of coal);
- landfills by eliminating at least 100 million tonnes of concrete waste; and
- emissions of mercury, nitrogen oxide and sulfur oxide.
Concrete is the world’s second most utilized substance, exceeded only by the consumption of water. Over 30 billion tonnes of concrete, containing approximately three billion tonnes of OPC, are manufactured and used every year. Cement production is the second largest industrial CO2 polluter, representing 5 to 7% of the world’s total CO2 emissions.
Solidia transforms CO2 into a valuable global commodity. Within five years, Solidia’s need for CO2 will more than double the existing CO2 market.
Using the same raw materials and existing equipment as traditional concretes, Solidia Concrete™ products are higher performing, cost less to produce, and cure in less than 24 hours. Solidia is introducing Artificial Intelligence into concrete production, an industry first that dramatically upgrades process and quality control.
“We are scaling technologies that will bring one of the world’s oldest and largest industries into the 21st century,” explained Schuler. “Our higher-performing, aesthetically enhanced products solve problems that plague the industry, on top of a superior sustainability profile. The industry will pivot to Solidia because we have made adopting sustainable innovation smart business with measured and proven value and impact.”
Based in Piscataway, N.J. (USA), Solidia’s investors include Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, Bright Capital, BASF, BP, LafargeHolcim, Total Energy Ventures, Oil and Gas Climate Initiative (OGCI) Climate Investments, Air Liquide, Bill Joy and other private investors.