Initial retrofit will enable annual production of over 2 million low carbon concrete blocks per year with more than 80% reduction in carbon intensity.
LOS ANGELES and BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (April 27, 2022)
CarbonBuilt and Blair Block today announced an agreement to utilize CarbonBuilt’s revolutionary low carbon concrete technology at Blair Block’s concrete masonry production facility in Childersburg, Alabama.
The application of CarbonBuilt’s technology will reduce the carbon footprint of Blair Block’s products by over 80 percent, with no compromise on price, product performance or plant operations.
The retrofit of one production line will enable the annual manufacturing of approximately 2.3 million 8-inch block-equivalents. Each block will permanently sequester around 0.55 lb (0.25 kg) of carbon dioxide, resulting in annual removal of about 600 metric tonnes of carbon dioxide per year. In addition, approximately 2,500 metric tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions will be avoided annually through changes to the concrete’s formulation.
“This partnership is a critical step in our journey to reduce the carbon footprint of the concrete industry,” said Rahul Shendure, CEO of CarbonBuilt.
“Our approach, which reduces the cost of concrete production while simultaneously reducing CO2 emissions, unlocks the potential of the concrete industry to drive gigatonne-scale carbon removal in the coming years.”
CarbonBuilt’s masonry formulations replace most (or all) of the carbon-intensive Portland cement, concrete’s traditional binder, with widely available, lower-carbon, and low-cost materials.
At Blair Block, CO2 emissions derived from locally sourced forestry waste will be mineralized into concrete masonry during the curing process.
Stripe Climate, which is the first buyer of carbon removal from this novel technology, has purchased 2,000 metric tonnes from the Blair plant.
“We first saw the environmental potential of CarbonBuilt’s technology when we participated in their pilot demonstration project at the National Carbon Capture Center,” said Matt Blair, an Owner and Vice President of Blair Block.
“But it was the strong economic value proposition that solidified our decision to become the first commercial-scale producer to implement CarbonBuilt’s technology.”
With anticipated improvements to the mix design, application of the technology to Blair’s second line, and full capacity utilization, CarbonBuilt eventually expects to increase Blair Block’s carbon avoidance and removal to three times their initial levels.
Availability of the first low carbon blocks made with CarbonBuilt’s technology is expected from Blair Block in the first quarter of 2023.
About CarbonBuilt ULTRA-LOW CARBON CONCRETE
CarbonBuilt, winner of the NRG COSIA Carbon XPRIZE, mineralizes CO2 from industrial, biomass, and direct air capture sources into low-cost, low-carbon concrete formulations. Its proprietary process reduces overall CO2 emissions by 70-100+ percent while delivering industry-standard products that yield higher margins for concrete producers. More information is available at www.carbonbuilt.com.
