Two companies have demonstrated technology that sucks carbon dioxide (CO2) directly from the air and then entombs it into concrete blocks where it can be stored for hundreds of years.
By injecting the captured CO2 into concrete, US company Heirloom and Canadian company CarbonCure Technologies say they are able to store atmospheric carbon in a secure location without compromising the strength and durability of the concrete.
This process also helps to reduce the carbon footprint of the concrete industry, which is a significant contributor to global CO2 emissions.
Heirloom and CarbonCure joined forces to devise the world-first technology trial in which C02 was captured using Heirloom’s direct-air-capture (DAC) and then injected into recycled water using a method developed by CarbonCure Technologies. The CO2-treated water was then used to make fresh concrete at Central Concrete plant, for use in local construction projects.
The process of embedding CO2 into the concrete is based on a natural process. Once injected, the CO₂ undergoes a mineralisation process which permanently embeds it.
“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,” said Robert Niven, chair and CEO of CarbonCure Technologies.