CHICAGO & PISCATAWAY, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--LafargeHolcim in the U.S. and U.S. startup Solidia Technologies® have announced the first commercial venture to supply EP Henry’s Wrightstown, New Jersey, paver and block plant with a reduced carbon dioxide (CO2) cement. Over the past six years, the two companies have developed an innovative technology that will reduce the environmental footprint of precast concrete and validate Solidia Cement™ at a commercial scale.
In 2013, the companies launched a pilot program to develop low-carbon, precast concrete pavers with EP Henry, a national outdoor unit concrete products manufacturer. Based on Solidia Cement produced at the Lafarge Whitehall plant, a proprietary concrete mix design and a specialized curing process utilizing CO2, the two companies developed a concrete that is stronger, more durable and higher performing than traditional versions. The first commercial offerings were launched earlier this year, demonstrating improved aesthetics and product durability.
“LafargeHolcim has long been committed to bringing innovative solutions to market, and this commercial agreement with EP Henry is an important step in showing that reducing our CO2 footprint through carbon-captured products is feasible,” said Jamie Gentoso, CEO, U.S. Cement, LafargeHolcim. “It has been incredibly rewarding to see how together, we have collaborated to move this technology from the experimental phase and into the U.S. market as a viable product.”
“By offering its technical expertise and market intelligence, LafargeHolcim helped us eliminate barriers to adoption, leading us to this first commercial traction in the U.S.,” said Solidia President and CEO Tom Schuler, “to expand our range of offerings, making sustainability business as usual across the global US$1 trillion concrete and US$300 billion cement markets.”
About Solidia ConcreteTM
Solidia has developed a new binder made from raw materials similar to those in Portland cement and produced in a traditional rotary kiln. Solidia is produced at lower temperatures and through a different chemical reaction that generates less CO2. Used afterwards in the manufacture of precast concrete, Solidia Cement hardens through the addition and absorption of CO2 (carbonation) in a patented curing process that reduces the overall carbon footprint by up to 70%.
Produced at traditional precast concrete manufacturing facilities, Solidia Concrete is higher performing and reaches strength in less than 24 hours, compared to 28 days for precast concrete made using Portland cement. This offers considerable energy savings and cost reductions to precast concrete manufacturers. Solidia Cement was first produced at the Lafarge Whitehall cement plant in Pennsylvania in 2014 and has since expanded production with additional runs at Whitehall and at its Pecs, Hungary, plant.
The patented processes not only reduce the cement plant’s carbon emissions by up to 40%, but also use 30% less energy to make more cement with the same amount of raw material. Unlike Portland cement, Solidia Cement is cured with CO2, not water, and EP Henry’s new paver offerings gain their performance advantages as a result of this new chemistry.
About Solidia Technologies®
Solidia Technologies® is a cement and concrete technology company that makes it easy and profitable to use CO2 to create superior and sustainable building materials. Solidia’s patented processes start with an energy-saving sustainable cement and cure concrete with CO2 instead of water. Combined, they reduce the carbon footprint of cement and concrete up to 70%. Using the same raw materials and existing equipment as traditional concretes, the resulting CO2-cured concrete products are higher performing, cost less to produce and cure in less than 24 hours. Up to 100% of the water used in production can be reclaimed. Based in Piscataway, N.J. (USA), Solidia’s investors include Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, Bright Capital, BASF, BP, LafargeHolcim, Total Energy Ventures, Oil and Gas Climate Initiative (OGCI) Climate Investments, Air Liquide, Bill Joy and other private investors. Follow Solidia Technologies at www.solidiatech.com and on LinkedIn, YouTube and Twitter:@SolidiaCO2.
About LafargeHolcim
LafargeHolcim is the leading global building materials and solutions company. It has four businesses: cement, aggregates and ready-mix concrete as well as advanced solutions and products that include precast concrete, asphalt and mortar. With its broad portfolio LafargeHolcim solves the toughest challenges facing masons, builders, architects and engineers, bringing industry-leading innovations and services to customers challenged by urbanization, population growth and the demand for sustainability. Headquartered in Switzerland and with leading positions in all regions, LafargeHolcim employs approximately 80,000 employees in around 80 countries and has a portfolio that is equally balanced between developing and mature markets.
In the United States, LafargeHolcim companies include close to 350 sites in 43 states and employ 7,000 people. Our customers rely on us to help them design and build better communities with innovative solutions that deliver structural integrity and eco-efficiency.
