Concrete4Change
Founders Sid (CEO) and Michael (CTO), Aleksandra (Adsorption chemisty) in the C4C lab in Nottingham, UK
Bigger Picture
To deliver the estimated 10 gigatonnes of CDR required each year by 2050, we will need to develop a full range of solutions to sequester gaseous CO2. Injecting CO₂ into the geosphere is one option, but this requires extensive infrastructure and limits the locations for economic carbon removal. Converting captured CO2 into long-lasting materials and products is an alternative sequestration avenue with the potential to add value beyond the carbon impact itself.
The Problem
Concrete accounts for approximately 8% of global GHG emissions. Alongside energy, it dominates the emissions from the built environment. Concrete is also the second most used material (after water) in the world’s economy. Therefore, concrete is the one man-made material produced at the gigatonne scale that can make an impact on the global carbon balance.
The world’s global building stock is set to almost double by 2050. The key binder material in concrete is cement, with over 4 billion tonnes of cement currently produced globally each year, which is responsible for 3 billion tonnes of GHG emissions. Cement is responsible for 70% of the cost and 80% of the emissions associated with concrete production.
For decarbonization solutions in concrete to be widely and rapidly adopted, they ideally need to be cost effective, ‘drop in’ easily to the longstanding and deeply established supply chains and deliver functional benefits to the finished product. This is a tall order…
Why Concrete4Change?
Engineering and technology led team – but with commercial nous.
Since we first met the Concrete4Change team we have been struck by the fusing of decades of engineering experience together with the deep understanding of the science and chemistry behind cement and concrete. This allows for an understanding of the material opportunity at the most fundamental level. However, the team also has demonstrated a strong commercial and financial intuition in a field that is rapidly developing.
An elegant ‘drop-in’ solution
Concrete4Change’s proprietary carrier materials can be seamlessly incorporated into the existing, deeply embedded concrete production processes and supply chains. This simplifies and speeds potential adoption – and hence impact.
Functional enhancement of concrete
Concrete4Change’s unique carrier delivers CO₂ into the concrete mix as it cures. The CO2 is made available to the cement during the hydration and curing processes of the concrete, driving the creation of calcium carbonate in a predictable manner. This not only locks in the CO2 permanently, but also enhances the strength of the concrete which, in turn, allows enhanced functional designs and reduces the amount of cement required, further reducing carbon emissions.
Efficient Logistical solution for CO2 sequestration
The method of embedding CO2 in a solid carrier streamlines the sequestration process, integrating it into local concrete supply chains to cut logistical complexities and costs of underground sequestration.
Complementary with other emergent decarbonization solutions for concrete.
Concrete4Change's technology complements a wide array of concrete decarbonization strategies, from using supplementary cementitious materials to carbon-negative aggregates,. We believe that Concrete4Change’s solution will be complementary and additive to many of these initiatives.
