DOE funds C-Crete Technologies US$2m to develop cement-free concrete

C-Crete Technologies is developing a method for using carbon dioxide captured at industrial sources or from the air as an ingredient in its cement-free concrete, in work accelerated by US$2m of funding from the US Department of Energy (DOE).

"The DOE funding will help propel C-Crete's already eco-friendly product into the exceptional category of carbon-negative building materials, possibly the first pourable, ready-mix concrete product to achieve this longtime goal of the industry," the company said in a statement. 

Around 80t of C-Crete's cement-free concrete was recently poured in the foundations, shear walls and floor slab of a commercial building and more projects are underway. The CO₂ incorporated into the product (whether captured from the air as the concrete cures or from industrial point sources), could be used in a diluted form, eliminating the costly step of separating it from other gases. Once mineralised in the concrete, the diluted CO₂ would make the new material stronger, tougher and more durable than conventional concrete.

At the core of C-Crete's innovation lies its patented high-performance, cement-free binder technology that uses different local materials as feedstocks. C-Crete's binder produces almost no CO₂ in its manufacturing and continues to absorb it from the air over time. Its scalability and cost-parity with conventional cement make it a viable alternative to ordinary Portland cement, a statement by C-Crete said.

The DOE's support for C-Crete's work underscores the profound impact that innovative approaches can have in the battle against carbon emissions, the company noted.

"We are committed to crafting a cement-free, ready-mix, carbon-negative concrete that doesn't just mitigate carbon emissions but actively contributes to reversing climate change," says Rouzbeh Savary, PhD, founder and president of C-Crete Technologies. "Our aim is nothing short of revolutionising this hard-to-abate, carbon-heavy sector of the construction industry."

"We need to do testing to get the use of next-generation materials like C-Crete's right, and that requires early adopter field trials," says Donald Davies, a developer and structural engineer with 33 years in the business, whose building in Seattle was the site of C-Crete’s first commercial pour. "It's exciting to be a part of helping C-Crete on this important next step forward."