Could concrete capture more carbon than trees?

This innovative concrete material traps emissions from heavy industry

Spotted: Market analysts expect continued urbanisation and increased infrastructure development activities to contribute to the predicted growth of the concrete materials market to $364 billion by 2028. Rather than try to eliminate use of the material, a collaboration between Kajima, The Chugoku Electric Power Co., Denka, and Landes Co. has created a world-first carbon-capturing concrete.

Called CO2-SUICOM, the new concrete uses heavy industry waste materials in place of traditional cement. Each mix reduces the amount of regular cement used by more than half, thereby significantly cutting emissions from the production process. Best of all, CO2-SUICOM uses carbon dioxide instead of water as the mixing agent required to make concrete harden and captures CO2 until the mixture is completely cured.

The new material can be made directly on-site at industry locations, with carbon dioxide and other exhaust emissions from manufacturing directed straight into a mixing chamber rather than into the air. As the materials in the mixer react to the carbon dioxide, the concrete hardens, trapping the emissions and exhaust inside. 

Customary manufacturing processes produce around 288 kilogrammes of carbon emissions per cubic metre of concrete created. CO2-SUICOM, on the other hand, traps 18 kilogrammes of carbon emissions per cubic metre of concrete – above and beyond net zero. The Japanese government has included CO2-SUICOM in its roadmap to achieving carbon neutrality by 2050.

Other innovations spotted by Springwise that are reducing emissions by putting captured carbon to new uses include super-strong nanofibres and soil-strengthening biochar for farming.

Written By: Keely Khoury