concrete. Ubiquitous. It is a workhorse of the construction industry, with over 10 billion cubic meters of concrete used each year.It also contributes up to 8% of CO2 Emissions — 1 ton of ordinary Portland cement produces 800 to 900 kilograms of CO.2 emissions. Finnish startup Carbonaide has raised €1.8 million (about $1.9 million at current exchange rates) in seed funding to reduce the carbon emissions of concrete, not the construction industry.
“Our goal at Carbonaide is to create a more sustainable future with cutting-edge technologies that not only reduce the carbon footprint of building materials like concrete, but also trap more CO.2 Carbonaide CEO Tapio Vehmas explains: “It is only natural that the built environment becomes CO.2 It sinks because it is the largest amount as an artificial substance. “
Carbonaide’s process uses an automated system at atmospheric pressure to bind carbon dioxide into precast concrete.By reducing the required cement content and mineralizing CO2 Carbonaide believes it can halve the carbon footprint of traditional Portland cement concrete. If industrial waste such as industrial slag, slush, and bio-ash can be introduced into the process, it may be possible to produce concrete with a negative carbon footprint.
Carbonaide’s next step is to scale this technology to production lines at its own factory in Hollola, Finland, where this seed funding round will take place.
“The goal of this funding round is to scale the technology to an industrial-scale pilot plant. Funding will allow the technology to be implemented in precast concrete production lines that allow carbon curing as part of the industrial process.” says Vehmas. “Once we can do that, we will know exactly what the cost structure and required parameters are for effective curing,” he added.
“Can we develop a technical solution that also makes commercial sense? I can’t say there is,” says Vehmas.
Carbonaide has calculated that a fully operational chain can mineralize up to 5 tons of CO2 A 100x increase in production per day and a 100x increase in production of carbon negative concrete products, but not just to make this type of concrete industrially scalable. Carbonaide also needs to make an impact on the inherently conservative construction industry.
“The technology has to fit perfectly, otherwise there is no change,” says Vehmas. The industry is very conservative, and for good reason. We build structures that are meant to last, and by being conservative we can ensure that they will survive into the future. It’s easy to say if something isn’t broken it doesn’t need to be fixed, but Vehmas recognizes how the carbon footprint of concrete is destroying the planet and it needs to be fixed. – A carbon industry could become a reality in a very conservative market. If we can do this, our generation may have hope of paying the carbon debt for future generations. “
Importantly, Vehmas has experience in this low-carbon quest within the construction industry and believes that the investment raised by Carbonaide validates both its necessity and viability.
“I also have over 20 years of experience working with concrete, which means I have been in the industry all my adult life. I basically live and breathe concrete. This is very helpful when introducing new technology into a very conservative industry,” says Vehmas. He added: “This investment is a sign of good progress for us as we already have the support and backing of industry players.”
Carbonaide’s backing comes from Lakan Betoni and Vantaa Energy, which led the seed funding. The round was completed with public financing and in-kind contributions from Business Finland, other Finnish concrete companies and strategic investors.
The concrete and energy companies that support Carbonaide donate more than just financially.They can also provide CO2 In the process of carbonation, believe it or not, too much carbon dioxide is flowing into the atmosphere, but not enough of the immobilized carbon dioxide is needed for everything from concrete to soda. increase.
If Carbonaide’s pilot plant goes according to plan, Vehmas hopes to have a planet-saving impact on the construction industry.
“After piloting, our goal is to commercialize the technology. By packing the technology into a modular unit, we hope to make this process easy to implement. It’s easy and makes it easier to implement the technology in the field,” says Vehmas. “If all goes according to my dreams, our technology will begin the process of making the built environment a carbon sink instead of a massive emitter in the future.”
