Making Cement With Fewer Carbon Emissions
Researchers at the University of Michigan have devised a new electro-chemical process to make low carbon cement.
concrete
3-D Printed Concrete Enlisted For Futuristic Subsea Energy Storage Demonstration
A new US energy storage project will adapt the power of pumped storage hydro to subsea locations near offshore wind farms and energy-hungry coastal cities, leveraging 3-D printing and the natural force of water pressure.
U.S. Department of Energy Announces Plans To Create Low-Carbon Cement & Concrete Center of Excellence…
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Industrial Efficiency and Decarbonization Office (IEDO) today announced its plan to create a Cement and Concrete Center of Excellence to accelerate the development and adoption of novel low-carbon cement and concrete technologies. U.S. national laboratories can receive up to $9 million through an upcoming competitive … [continued]
Fixing Industrial Process Emissions — India Utility Seminar Transcript & Slides
Under the auspices of the India Smart Grid Forum, the think tank founded as an umbrella organization over India’s 28 state utilities to provide thought leadership, share leading practices, and bring international insights to India, I’m delivering bi-weekly webinars framed by the Short List of Climate Actions That Will Work. With the … [continued]
Cement Displacement & Decarbonization Decade By Decade Through 2100
Cement is the gray glue that holds our economy together. It’s ubiquitous, if often hidden behind paint or plaster. It holds together the rock, sand, and steel that keep our buildings upright, our bridges spanning chasms, and our dams holding water for irrigation, generation, and recreation. And it’s a carbon … [continued]
Aday Leads Research & Development of Cement & Concrete Alternatives To Decarbonize the Value Chain…
When people think of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), it is often solar, wind, and other clean energy generation technologies that come to mind. However, Ana Aday, a materials science researcher in NREL’s Building Technologies and Science Center, is taking on a whole new challenge: decarbonizing the cement and … [continued]
Cement Is One Of Few Industries Where Carbon Capture May Be Competitive In Niches
As concrete month draws nearer to a close, it’s time to look at an option not previously explored, continuing to use limestone but bolting on carbon capture and paying for waste disposal in permanent sequestration sites. After fifteen years of assessing carbon capture technologies, pilots and proposals, this is one … [continued]
Decarbonizing Cement & Concrete Is Noble, But Why Will Developers Pay For It?
During what has become concrete month, I’ve explored the full range of actual and purported solutions to the climate problem that is the cement, steel, and concrete used in construction. The industry’s emissions are high, with every ton of reinforced concrete having a carbon debt of 0.3-0.4 tons of carbon … [continued]
Steel Reinforcement Is The Invisible Miracle Of Concrete Construction, But Comes With A Carbon Price
Reinforced concrete was invented in the mid-19th century, a game-changer in the construction world. French gardener Joseph Monier is often credited with its creation. While experimenting with materials to build stronger garden pots and tubs, he had the idea to combine concrete with iron mesh in 1849. Monier patented his … [continued]
Concrete Is A Geography, Minerals, & Waste Game Played With Billions Of Tons Of Chips
As cement day turns into concrete week turns into concrete month, it’s worth considering how the absurd tonnages of concrete manufactured changes, often radically, depending on where specifically in the world the concrete is needed. That’s all because those absurd tonnages means that we move the stuff that goes into … [continued]
