Concrete and cement are the foundation of modern construction. Billions of houses, office buildings and factories are made of this material which fortifies structures against natural disaster. However, the production of concrete and cement is disastrous to the environment. The cement industry is one of the primary producers of carbon dioxide. While concrete causes damage to the most fertile layer of the earth. Both consume a lot of water to be produced.
A US-based startup has created products that can cut carbon dioxide emissions by up to 70%. Richard Riman founded Solidia Technologies in 2008. The startup claims that if its tech were adopted globally, it would reduce energy consumption by approximately barrels of oil.
Solidia has two main technologies. The first is sustainable cement manufacturing technology which can be produced in traditional cement kilns using less energy. As a result, it reduces greenhouse emissions by around 40%. The second is sustainable concrete curing technology which uses concrete powder made of carbon dioxide instead of water. According to their website, it safely consumes 240 kilograms of carbon dioxide. At the same time, the concrete concoction could save 3 trillion water if it replaces regular concrete.
With this tech, the construction industry can become more sustainable. Also, it will help cement manufacturers to meet or exceed the required carbon reduction that the Cement Sustainability Initiative has urged those in the industry to reach. Reaching this goal, will mean that these manufacturers could be able to mitigate carbon taxes.
It has raised $27 million in three funding rounds. Its investors include industry leaders such as LafargeHolcim, Total Energy Ventures, Oil and Gas Climate Initiative.
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