OAKLAND, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations (OCED) today announced that Brimstone, a leader in industrial decarbonization, was selected to negotiate a $189 million federal award to finance the construction of the first commercial-scale plant deploying Brimstone's deeply decarbonized process for producing cement.
The first-of-a-kind plant would produce up to 140,000 metric tons per year of industry-standard ordinary portland cement (OPC), the cement used in virtually all construction globally, and another core concrete ingredient (supplementary cementitious materials, or SCM)—while avoiding 120,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions annually.
"The United States is leading the global clean industrial revolution in no small part due to efforts like the Industrial Demonstrations Program, and we're thrilled that the Department of Energy has chosen Brimstone for this investment," said Cody Finke, co-founder and CEO of Brimstone. "Brimstone has uniquely reengineered the process to decarbonize cement, at low cost, while delivering the same product builders have trusted for generations. Today's announcement promises to be transformational, validating Brimstone's potential to decarbonize the cement industry and turbo-charging our path to market."
The cement industry—dubbed a “hard-to-abate” sector—is a leading driver of climate change, accounting for 7.5% of global CO2 emissions and 5.5% of total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Yet demand for cement continues to grow, with global production exceeding 4 billion metric tons annually.
Brimstone has developed the only industrial process for producing industry-standard portland cement at competitive prices at scale, while significantly reducing carbon emissions. By producing traditional cement through alternative means, this process advances a core plank of the DOE strategy for decarbonizing cement, as highlighted in its recent "Pathways to Commercial Liftoff" report. The International Energy Agency has recognized Brimstone’s novel approach in its annual reports and featured it as one of the 50 energy and climate technologies shaping the modern energy system.
The majority of conventional cement's emissions come from its feedrock, limestone. Brimstone's process uses carbon-free calcium silicate rocks, which are abundant and voluminous at the surface of every continent. Its process also generates magnesium compounds that permanently absorb CO2 from the air, making it deeply decarbonized across a wide range of energy scenarios and geographies.
In July 2023, the company announced that its cement meets ASTM C150 standards, the regulatory requirements defining ordinary portland cement. This achievement validates that Brimstone's innovative process produces portland cement identical in performance, safety, and composition to portland cement produced through the conventional, carbon-intensive process. In addition to industry-standard cement, Brimstone's process produces SCM, a material used to strengthen concrete and reduce its carbon footprint, streamlining the supply chain while further reducing emissions.
“The Department of Energy’s announcement not only represents a critical milestone for Brimstone; it powerfully affirms our potential for global impact,” said Hugo Leandri, co-founder and CTO of Brimstone. “By producing 100 percent, industry-standard cement from a widely available, carbon-free feedstock, the Brimstone process is optimized for climate benefit and replicability. Negotiating an award from the Industrial Demonstrations Program will accelerate our path to commercialize Brimstone’s technology, create high-quality, clean industry jobs in the United States, and—ultimately—decarbonize cement production around the world.”
Brimstone's commercial demonstration plant will create up to 450 construction jobs and 100 permanent jobs across skill levels. In connection with plant construction and operation, the company will advance a robust community benefits plan, and has also entered a neutrality agreement with the United Steelworkers.
The Industrial Demonstrations Program was created, expanded, and funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act.
Brimstone will soon construct a pilot plant near Reno, Nevada. Currently, the company is engaged with select customers and partners on small-scale and large-scale deployments of its deeply decarbonized industry-standard OPC and SCM.
Brimstone is actively hiring across departments. See open roles here.
About Brimstone
Brimstone developed a breakthrough decarbonized process to produce ordinary portland cement and supplementary cementitious materials. The company was founded in 2019 at Caltech by Cody Finke and Hugo Leandri to decarbonize cement production, which is responsible for 7.5% of global CO2 emissions today. Brimstone has raised $60M to date from leading climate investors, including Breakthrough Energy Ventures, DCVC, Collaborative Fund, Amazon Climate Pledge, Fifth Wall, S2G Ventures, Acceler8, GVP Climate, Impact Science Ventures, Osage University Partners, and SystemIQ. To learn more or get in touch, please visit Brimstone.com.
