Holcim invest in Sublime Systems, a low-carbon cement technology startup in the US
20.09.2024
Figure: Holcim
Holcim have invested in Sublime Systems, a leading low-carbon cement technology startup in the US, to expand their range of highly engineered solutions to decarbonize building at scale. The partnership will advance Sublime’s first commercial manufacturing facility in Massachusetts, giving Holcim a large share of Sublime Cement produced there through a binding offtake reservation.
Unique technology to decarbonize cement
Nollaig Forrest, Holcim’s chief sustainability officer, said: ‘The Sublime Systems team has developed a unique technology to decarbonize cement, cutting across the entire production process from the use of clean electricity to carbon-free raw materials.
‘We are excited about this technology’s potential and are delighted to be partnering to bring it to market at scale. This investment advances our strategy to decarbonize construction by scaling up the most innovative technologies across our operations.’
Mission of swift and massive impact
Dr Leah Ellis, chief executive officer and co-founder of Sublime Systems, said: ‘In the cement industry, scale is everything. We are proud to collaborate with Holcim who support our mission of swift and massive impact. By pairing Sublime’s technology with Holcim’s advanced global operations from manufacturing and logistics to commercial distribution, we can scale up our impact together.’
Sublime Systems’ technology reinvents the full cement manufacturing process. Based on a proprietary CO2-free electrochemical system, it uses clean electricity and carbon-free raw materials for cement production.
Following their first successful market applications, Sublime are currently building a commercial-scale manufacturing plant to produce 30,000 tons of cement per year as of 2026. Holcim’s investment adds to a recent award they were selected for by the US Department of Energy’s Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations (OCED).
Holcim say they have the broadest range of decarbonization technologies in their industry to execute on their 2030 and 2050 1.5°C-aligned net-zero targets validated by the Science Based Targets initiative. Their portfolio ranges from innovative low-emission materials such as calcined clay and decarbonized cement paste from recycled construction demolition materials, through to decarbonized energy, with 12 sites operating at more than 80% alternative fuels.
The company is also currently developing six CCUS projects, engineered to produce 8 million tons of decarbonized cement per year by 2030. Through Holcim MAQER Ventures, it is working with hundreds of startups to scale up the most innovative technologies in the built environment.
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