Local governments in the southwestern United States are committing $150,000 to support what they say is a pioneering effort to “turn air into concrete at scale.” The funds will help cover the costs of a “reference project,” a collaboration between his two climate tech startups and a stone company in Flagstaff, Arizona.
The two companies expect construction to begin later this year, with the two startups deploying the technology within Block-Lite’s existing facility. Aircapture sucks carbon out of the air, and CarbonBuilt modifies Block-Lite’s curing chamber to use CO2 to cure low-carbon concrete recipes. CarbonBuilt’s recipe uses less cement and integrates industrial waste, such as fly ash, that would otherwise be diverted to landfills, the startup said.
“Essentially, we are working with Aircapture to take CO2 gas out of the atmosphere and turn it into a rock that is permanently stored,” CarbonBuilt said in a statement.
The $150,000 prize money comes from the 4 Corners Carbon Coalition, named after the Southwest region of the United States. Santa Fe, New Mexico. Boulder, Colorado. and Flagstaff, Arizona. In a statement to TechCrunch, CarbonBuilt CEO Rahul Shendure called the funding a “great first step,” but said the companies involved would also put money and time into the project.
Efforts to reduce the environmental impact of concrete are an important part of decarbonisation. In 2018, the International Energy Agency, an intergovernmental group, estimated that, overall, concrete producers accounted for about 7% of industrial carbon emissions.
Besides installing solar arrays at the facility, Block-Lite manufactures stone products in the traditional way today, and the curing process produces a large amount of carbon dioxide. But through the award, Block-Lite told TechCrunch that it will eventually begin selling “ultra-low-carbon blocks to customers in Flagstaff and surrounding areas.”
