Boston: Innovative cement used on a large-scale building marks a new era

Sublime Systems is the most innovative sustainability company of 2024 as it was recognized by Fast Company Magazine. They created cement that is produced through an electrochemical process, diverging from the conventional method involving kiln heating, which is notorious for its significant carbon emissions. Traditional cement production involves heating a mixture of calcium carbonate and silica-bearing minerals in kilns at temperatures exceeding 1,300°C, contributing to a substantial portion of global human-induced carbon emissions. By bypassing the need for kiln heating entirely, Sublime Systems has drastically reduced emissions associated with cement production.

Furthermore, this innovative cement is already in use in the Greater Boston Area. More specifically, two companies based in Boston have recently completed the construction of a sizable building using a zero-carbon cement mixture made in the USA, marking one of the initial applications of this innovative technology in practical construction projects. In particular, Boston Sand & Gravel supplying Turner Construction Co. used a ready-mix cement containing Sublime Systems' product for the foundational mud mat of a large building.

It should be mentioned that this successful application not only decreases the carbon footprint of the new structure but also confirms that Sublime Systems' product meets critical performance criteria, such as transportation in standard ready-mix concrete trucks, maintaining workability during transit, and being poured and delivered to the construction site using conventional methods.

On the contrary, while numerous companies are exploring or supporting the use of low or zero-carbon cement and concrete to diminish their environmental impact, only a handful have begun incorporating it extensively into real-world building endeavors. David Robb, a Turner estimator, and preconstruction manager involved in the Boston-area project, remarked that while the construction process itself may have seemed ordinary, it represents a significant advancement towards achieving Turner's goals of reducing embodied carbon in their projects.

Both government funding and private investment are flowing into Sublime Systems, indicating strong support for its groundbreaking technology. The company appears poised to lead a substantial revolution in cement production, with plans underway to establish its first large-scale manufacturing facility in Holyoke, Massachusetts.