Constructing a greener future with circular cement

Upcycled waste and electric production combine for a low-impact product

Spotted: From 2022 to 2037, the global construction industry is expected to grow by more than $4 trillion (around €3.7 trillion). That means that despite concrete – and more specifically, cement – being one of the world’s most damaging materials, demand for it will continue to grow. Organisations in the industry must therefore find sustainable alternatives that continuously, and rapidly, reduce emissions associated with the production of materials and the use of them during construction projects.

Green cement technology expert CemVision has developed a solution, called Re-ment, which it claims is one of the world’s most resource-efficient types of cement. The green product line consists of two binders that are both ultra-low carbon. The company’s ‘Rapid’ binder can replace Portland clinker and achieves early compressive strength to speed up construction. It is particularly effective in cold weather conditions and reduces the amount of cement needed in the concrete. The ‘Massive’ binder, meanwhile, provides exceptionally high chemical resistance and is ideal for mass concrete. The two binders are compatible with one another and can be combined to meet a range of different applications.

To make its binders, CemVision replaces virgin materials like limestone with industrial waste. An electric production process nearly eliminates manufacturing emissions, and this combination of clean production and upcycled binders creates cement that generates less than 80 kilogrammes of carbon dioxide per tonne. This is well below the target of 184 kilogrammes of CO2 per tonne set by the First Movers Coalition – a group of private sector businesses advancing technologies to decarbonise the world’s heavy-emitting sectors.

Re-ment works with all current cement production and building processes, making it an easy switch for high-impact reductions of pollution. CemVision began pilot-scale production of Re-ment in 2023.

Other innovations spotted in Springwise’s library that are cleaning up cement include adding graphene oxide to concrete and sequestering CO2 emissions from cement production in concrete.

Written By: Keely Khoury and Matthew Hempstead