The team has already demonstrated a prototype system and produced the concrete components and are currently finalizing the design of the equipment for the field test.
“Our vision is that CO2Concrete will be at the center of a much more sustainable and environmentally responsible construction ecosystem,” said team lead Gaurav Sant, a professor of civil and environmental engineering, and materials science and engineering at UCLA Samueli. “We think we have a revolutionary process and product. Not just because of our carbon utilization technology, which alone is really exciting, but our end product appeals to both energy and building construction companies to enable them to meaningfully reduce carbon dioxide emissions.”
The carbon-to-concrete technology throws a one-two punch at carbon dioxide emissions, a major greenhouse gas and an underlying cause of climate change.
First, it captures carbon dioxide gas before it exits the power plant, reducing emissions to the atmosphere.
Second, it cuts down on the use of traditional cement, the binding agent in concrete. The production of cement results in more than 8% of annual man-made carbon dioxide emissions, according to the Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency. The resulting product will have a carbon footprint at least 50% lower than current equivalent building materials, Sant said.
The UCLA team has previously received $500,000 from the XPRIZE organization after reaching the finals in 2018, and a $1.5 million gift in 2017 from the Anthony and Jeanne Pritzker Family Foundation to support the project.
Sant is also the director of the Institute for Carbon Management at UCLA.