Carbon Upcycling Technologies (Carbon Upcycling), a carbon utilization company that produces CO2-enhanced cement and concrete additives, announced today that it has been awarded £2.3 Million in funding from UK Research and Innovation (UKRI). This will be the world’s first commercial-scale cement additive plant that combines CO2 sequestration and waste glass, and Carbon Upcycling’s first project in Europe.
The commercial pilot will sequester up to five tonnes of CO2 emissions per day produced from a post-consumer glass recycling facility, while simultaneously extending the lifetime of 50 tonnes of colored glass waste. This translates to the project eliminating approximately 16,500 tonnes of local crushed glass from entering landfills, sequestering approximately 1,600 tonnes of carbon dioxide that would otherwise reach the atmosphere, and reducing over 15,000 tonnes of carbon emissions on a lifecycle basis through cement abatement.
This funding will support a consortium, led by Carbon Upcycling, including CEMEX, Glass Technology Services, Matthew Demon, President of British Glass (MKD32), and others in the glass and cement industries.
“We are committed to lead efforts that support the decarbonization of the cement sector by combining our extensive industry knowledge with the most promising and innovative solutions” expressed Gonzalo Galindo, Head of CEMEX Ventures. “At CEMEX, we aim to reach net-zero by 2050 and this project with Carbon Upcycling is an important milestone towards utilizing captured carbon to help achieve this goal. This project will help us to double the industry’s use of cement replacements by 2030 and allow CEMEX to participate in a circular economy project.”
Carbon Upcycling will utilize its patented carbon utilization process to activate post-consumer colored glass fines. “Generally, this waste from glass is difficult to recycle cost-effectively,” said Glass Technology Services. “Sequestering CO2 emissions and producing high-performance supplementary cementitious materials for use in low-carbon concrete and blended cement will create a new generation of climate-resilient materials for infrastructure.”
“The commencement of the glass valorization and low carbon cement project is a big milestone for Carbon Upcycling in our journey towards real-world impact. By creating a valuable product from one of the toughest waste streams in the glass industry, and using cement flue gas directly in its process, Carbon Upcycling will provide the UK market with a low-cost, low-carbon alternative to imported cementitious materials,” said Apoorv Sinha, CEO of Carbon Upcycling Technologies. “This project is fundamentally aligned with Carbon Upcycling’s vision of a truly circular carbon economy and is one of a handful of exciting projects highlighting the versatility of our technology and the ambitions of our organization.”
