Heidelberg Materials trials CarbonCure tech for low-carbon concrete in England

Heidelberg Materials has extended the range of low carbon concrete on offer to the construction market in London and the South East from its Greenwich concrete plant and is are carrying out trials using CarbonCure technology in ready-mixed concrete for the first time in England, which has the potential to reduce the CO₂ associated with concrete by around 7-11kg/m3, the company said in a statement Dec. 3

The process involves injecting pure manufactured CO2 into fresh concrete, where it undergoes a chemical reaction to become permanently mineralized. This makes hydration more efficient, delivering stronger concrete and permanently locking in CO2. It also allows producers to use an average of 5% less cement within the concrete mix, the company said.

"The CarbonCure trial is the first of its kind to trial the technology in ready-mix concrete in England and is another example of our commitment to innovation and decarbonising our business, to deliver lower carbon construction materials to our customers," Daniel Clayton, Concrete Technical Director said. "We're continuing to invest in a range of innovative technologies to enable this, including partnering with CarbonCure in this trial where the mineralized CO₂ within the concrete stays permanently locked in, even if the concrete is demolished at some point in the future."

The integration of CarbonCure technology into the concrete production process is seamless and does not affect the performance of the final product, the company added.

The trial at the Greenwich plant solidifies its position as a low-carbon construction materials supply hub, complementing its offerings of calcined clay, evoBuild low-carbon GGBS, crushed concrete, accelerators, and evoZero, the world's first carbon-captured near-zero cement.

The CarbonCure process was first developed more than a decade ago in Canada and is gaining traction globally including in North America. High profile projects built with concrete using CarbonCure's technologies include Amazon HQ2 in Virginia and General Motors Manufacturing Plant in Tennessee.

Platts, part of S&P Global Energy, assessed CEMDEX Turkey at $53/mt FOB on Nov. 27.