Two Innovators Win Prize for Decarbonizing Concrete
Forging cleaner city skylines, two companies revolutionize concrete by permanently storing CO₂ in every block.
Two Companies Win Prestigious XPRIZE for Decarbonizing Concrete
Concrete is both the backbone of modern infrastructure and a significant contributor to climate change due to its high carbon emissions. In a landmark achievement for sustainable construction, two companies—CarbonCure Technologies and CarbonBuilt—were awarded the $20 million NRG COSIA Carbon XPRIZE for their groundbreaking technologies that trap carbon dioxide (CO₂) within concrete, potentially revolutionizing the building industry and making a significant impact on global emissions.
Why Focus on Concrete?
Concrete is the most widely used man-made material worldwide, essential for buildings, roads, bridges, and countless other applications. However, cement production—the key ingredient in concrete—accounts for approximately 7% of global CO₂ emissions. Reducing the environmental impact of concrete has become a crucial challenge in the fight against climate change.
The Carbon XPRIZE: Accelerating Innovation
The Carbon XPRIZE is a global competition designed to spur innovative technologies that convert carbon emissions into valuable products. Backed by a $20 million prize purse, it attracted teams from around the world aiming to turn captured CO₂ into market-ready solutions. The competition was split across two sites: a coal-fired power plant in Wyoming, USA, and a natural gas plant in Alberta, Canada. Each site hosted several teams, with the grand prizes awarded to the technologies that could demonstrate real-world viability and scalability.
- Two grand prizes: $7.5 million each to the winning teams
- The other ten finalists shared a total of $5 million
- Focus on capturing CO₂ emissions directly from working power plant smokestacks
The Grand Prize Winners: CarbonCure Technologies & CarbonBuilt
| Team | Location | Technology Approach | Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| CarbonCure Technologies | Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada (Alberta site) | Injects CO₂ into water used in concrete mixing and truck washout, causing the gas to mineralize and permanently embed within the cured product | Stronger concrete, lower emissions, reduced water use |
| CarbonBuilt | Los Angeles, California, USA (Wyoming site) | Uses CO₂ from flue gas during concrete curing and replaces Portland cement with low-carbon industrial waste in the mix | Cuts cement use, reduces emissions, permanently stores CO₂ |
How the Winning Technologies Work
CarbonCure Technologies (Alberta Site)
CarbonCure developed a process that injects captured CO₂ into the water used to rinse out concrete mixers and trucks. When the CO₂ is added, it undergoes mineralization, permanently embedding microscopic particles of calcium carbonate within the concrete matrix. This not only strengthens the final product but also reduces the need for additional cement, lowering both material and carbon costs. The process is designed to integrate easily with existing concrete plants.
- Permanently stores CO₂ as a solid in concrete
- Lowers total carbon footprint and water consumption
- Demonstrated success at commercial scale, with installations already in operation
CarbonBuilt (Wyoming Site)
CarbonBuilt’s innovation focuses on substituting conventional Portland cement with low-carbon waste materials such as fly ash, industrial byproducts, and less energy-intensive binders. During the curing process, flue gases from the power plant (containing CO₂) are directed into the curing chamber, where the gas reacts with the concrete and is chemically bound as a stable mineral. This dual approach cuts carbon emissions via both the material replacement and the permanent sequestration of the greenhouse gas in the final product.
- Incorporates waste materials to reduce cement use
- Utilizes direct flue gas CO₂ (no need for prior capture or purification)
- Has achieved over 50% reduction in product carbon footprint compared to traditional concrete
The Science Behind Decarbonizing Concrete
At the core of both technologies is the concept of carbon mineralization: transforming gaseous CO₂ into solid carbonates that become an integral part of the hardened concrete. This not only prevents the carbon dioxide from returning to the atmosphere, but actually strengthens the cementitious matrix, often yielding better performance characteristics.
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Traditional Portland cement production releases vast amounts of CO₂, primarily from the limestone calcination reaction and fossil fuel combustion. By cutting down on cement usage and directly storing the gas, both companies have made concrete a potential vehicle for long-term carbon sequestration.
Global Significance and Scaling Up
Concrete is ubiquitous—the world manufactures billions of tonnes each year—so even incremental improvements in its carbon footprint can have immense impacts on the climate. By demonstrating solutions that integrate with existing plants and construction supply chains, CarbonCure and CarbonBuilt pave the way for rapid scaling and greater climate benefit.
According to the XPRIZE Foundation, deploying these kinds of carbon utilization technologies could enable:
- Permanent removal of gigatonnes of CO₂ from the atmosphere annually
- Widespread compatibility with current ready-mix and precast concrete plants
- Creation of more durable, high-performing concrete products
Broader Context and Related Prizes
The NRG COSIA Carbon XPRIZE is part of a broader push for high-impact carbon removal solutions. Alongside it, major philanthropic efforts—including a $100 million pledge from Elon Musk’s Musk Foundation—are spurring new rounds of competition focused on extracting vast quantities of CO₂ directly from the air and storing it at scale. The winners of these future competitions are intended to help meet net-zero emissions targets by 2050.
Other XPRIZE Finalists and Innovations
While CarbonCure and CarbonBuilt took the grand prizes, other finalist teams explored a range of pathways for using CO₂ emissions, such as:
- Converting CO₂ into food additives and plastics
- Incorporating carbon nanoparticles into building materials
- Developing carbon nanotubes for use in advanced industrial applications
- New approaches for zero-cement concrete leveraging alternative chemistries
These innovations demonstrate the diverse potential for CO₂ as a resource rather than just a pollutant, signifying a new era in industrial decarbonization.
The Path Forward: Policy, Industry, and Collaboration
Winning the XPRIZE is a milestone, but scaling up will require broader support:
- Industry adoption: Concrete producers and builders must be willing to adopt new processes
- Policymaker engagement: Regulatory frameworks and incentives are needed to reward low-carbon materials
- Ongoing research: Continuous innovation will help refine and expand the technologies’ effectiveness
- Consumer awareness: Building awareness and demand for sustainable materials
These steps are crucial if such breakthrough technologies are to help meaningfully lower global emissions over the coming decades.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q: Why is decarbonizing concrete so important?
A: Concrete’s sheer scale means its carbon footprint is immense—cement production accounts for about 7% of all emissions globally. Even moderate improvements in production can yield massive climate benefits.
Q: How do CarbonCure’s and CarbonBuilt’s technologies compare?
A: Both permanently remove and store CO₂ in concrete, but CarbonCure injects the gas into recycling water at concrete plants (mineralizing it), while CarbonBuilt uses the CO₂ directly in the curing process and replaces much of the Portland cement with alternative, lower-carbon ingredients.
Q: Are these products currently available?
A: CarbonCure technology is already in use at commercial scale at numerous ready-mix plants. CarbonBuilt is moving toward broader commercialization following the XPRIZE win.
Q: Will this make concrete more expensive?
A: Both approaches are designed to be cost-neutral or even cost-saving by reducing the amount of expensive and carbon-intensive cement required, and by integrating with existing infrastructure, minimizing barriers to adoption.
Q: Can these strategies eliminate all emissions from concrete?
A: Not entirely—concrete production will likely always have some emissions, but these approaches are a significant step toward net-zero construction, especially if combined with renewable energy and additional emission-cutting measures.
Conclusion: Building the Future with Carbon-Smart Concrete
The XPRIZE triumph of CarbonCure and CarbonBuilt spotlights a powerful vision for sustainable construction—where every building, bridge, and street serves as a long-term storage site for carbon dioxide. With continued innovation, industry partnership, and robust policy, the world can look forward to a future shaped by concrete solutions to climate change.
References
- https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/winners-of-20m-contest-make-concrete-to-trap-carbon-dioxide/articleshow/82147654.cms
- https://www.electric.coop/carbon-xprize-winners-produce-better-concrete-while-containing-co2-emissions
- https://www.xprize.org/prizes/carbon/articles/xprize-announces-the-two-winners-of-20m-nrg-cosia-carbon-xprize-with-each-team-creating-valuable-products-out-of-co2-emissions
- https://www.ecohome.net/en/news/1531/cutting-emissions-from-the-use-of-concrete-wins-the-carbon-xprize/
- https://thebusinessjournal.com/winners-of-20m-contest-make-concrete-to-trap-carbon-dioxide/
- https://www.xprize.org/prizes/carbonremoval
- https://www.latimes.com/environment/story/2020-01-16/ucla-xprize-team-turning-carbon-into-concrete
- https://communities.acs.org/t5/GCI-Nexus-Blog/US-Canada-Based-Companies-Awarded-XPRIZE-for-Breakthroughs-in/ba-p/86175
- https://carboncapturemagazine.com/articles/xprize-makes-history-awards-100m-prize-for-groundbreaking-carbon-removal-solutions
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