AZoCleantech interviews Carbon Limit's Founder and CEO about the company's mission to reduce one billion tons of CO2 with CaptureCrete, an innovative concrete technology.
Could you provide an overview of Carbon Limit and its mission to reduce one billion tons of CO2 from the environment?
I founded Carbon Limit in 2021 alongside my partners, Christina Stavridi, our Chief Operations Officer, and Oro Padron, our Chief Marketing Officer. We had been working for another climate tech company together when we came up with the idea of creating an easy-to-use product that could reduce the environmental impacts of construction.
After water, concrete is the second most-used material in the world, presenting a major stage for igniting positive environmental reform. We looked at manufacturing concrete and the technology already available on the market. We uncovered that everything was focused on cutting down the amount of CO2 produced in the process of making the concrete itself – an important initiative that, of course, should not be overlooked. However, we saw an opportunity to create something supporting climate change efforts on the back end of concrete production. That is how we came up with the idea of CaptureCrete.
CaptureCrete turns concrete into a mechanism for cutting down on the emissions produced during its manufacturing and absorbing CO2 from the atmosphere after its use. In creating it, we wanted to ensure it would be simple and cost-efficient, thereby supporting easy uptake by construction companies of all kinds.
The resulting technology was an additive that partially replaced conventional cement. You must mix the proper dosage of CaptureCrete into the cement or concrete process, transforming the resulting concrete into a CO2-absorbing powerhouse. Substituting traditional cement mix with CaptureCrete mitigates up to 75% of the CO2 generated during the concrete manufacturing process.
With how easy the product is to implement into concrete production, we are confident we will achieve our mission of reducing one billion tons of CO2 from the environment.
CaptureCrete utilizes Direct Air Capture (DAC) technology with CO2 mineralization. Can you explain how this combination works and the science behind it?
By using Direct Air Capture (DAC) technology, CaptureCrete replicates the properties of cement that bond concrete while meeting the various performance requirements necessary for approved production. We use a unique blend of active minerals and a selective and reactive catalyst to CO2 through molecular affinity. As a result, the end product attracts CO2 from the air.
As CO2 is pulled into the concrete, it undergoes bonding through chemical and physical iteration to ultimately transform it into stable, solid carbonates. Those carbonates are then stored within the concrete indefinitely and have even made the concrete a more durable, resilient material.
The stored CO2 is thermodynamically stable, so the process cannot be reversed unless the concrete is heated to extremely high temperatures: 555 degrees Celsius / 1022 degrees Fahrenheit.
How is CaptureCrete being adopted in the market today? Can you share some examples of current customers or projects utilizing this technology?
We have had a strong, speedy response to CaptureCrete, resulting in exponential interest, uptake, and use of additives worldwide. To make accessing our technology even quicker, we have transitioned a big part of our business operations to offering interested clientele the ability to license our CaptureCrete formula. That way, their implementation will not wholly hang on our production time.
One of our very first projects was with the Minnesota Department of Transportation, where we worked with them to install a carbon-removing portion of roadway on Interstate 94 westbound just outside the Twin Cities.
Another significant undertaking was working with Google as they reimagined one of its innovation centers in San Francisco. Carbon Limit supported the construction of building CO2-absorbing installments throughout the site.
Image Credit: lovelyday12/Shutterstock.com
We have also worked with several consumer-focused brands, making our technology and its positive environmental impacts readily available to everyday buyers through retailers such as Home Depot. Last year, we partnered with NCP Industries to use CaptureCrete in its home improvement products, ranging from pavers to retaining walls.
The resulting ECO₂LUXE line transforms exterior surfaces into robust carbon-capturing systems. The ADORN Stone Premier Series is an exterior stone profile designed for aesthetics that captures CO2 directly from the air and actively neutralizes its carbon footprint.
Another example of making carbon removal technology accessible to the general public is our work with Lili Tiles, which offers beautiful handmade tiles and backsplashes for design-centric home projects.
Carbon Limit was also recently selected to be part of the South Florida Clean Tech Hub, which was awarded $19.5 million in total by the Department of Commerce's Economic Development Administration. With this funding, we are already strategizing an expansive range of new and exciting ways to implement our technologies throughout the region with excellent local partners.
What are the long-term environmental benefits of using CaptureCrete in concrete, and how does it contribute to reducing global CO2 emissions?
As mentioned, concrete is second only to water when it comes to the most-used materials on earth. As a result, concrete industries contribute a significant portion of global emissions. By adjusting both the manufacturing process and the end product’s properties to support the mitigation, absorption, and storage of CO2 indefinitely, this highly-relied-upon material becomes a widespread catalyst for reversing the negative effects of climate change and ensuring a more positive future for our planet.
How does integrating CaptureCrete help businesses meet their ESG requirements and obtain sustainability certifications?
Since the use of CaptureCrete yields a built structure – whether a building, road, home, etc. – that physically removes CO2 from the air, businesses that use our technology gain another key element for meeting their project's environmental, social, and governance (ESG) requirements. Showcasing their dedication to using climate-friendly construction technologies and techniques also makes them eligible to apply for environmental product declaration and carbon credits.
Can you elaborate on how CaptureCrete generates high-quality, validated, and verified carbon credits, and what this means for businesses adopting the technology?
Incorporating CaptureCrete in concrete production generates high-quality avoidance and removal credits. Bureau Veritas validates our top-notch removal credits of 1,000+ years of permanence under Covalent’s Certification Standard. We are also working with Verra to certify credits under its VM 0043 (Methodology for CO2 Utilisation in Concrete Production), with SCS Global as the VVB.
At Carbon Limit, we manage the generation and validation process of the carbon credits and split revenues generated from those credits with our partners and licensees.
The CO2 stored in CaptureCrete is thermodynamically stable unless the concrete is incinerated at high temperatures. Can you discuss the significance of this stability for long-term carbon sequestration?
To change the tides in the fight against climate change, we need to lower carbon dioxide levels in our atmosphere—not for a short amount of time but forever. Our CaptureCrete technology stores CO2 indefinitely unless it reaches extremely high temperatures, as mentioned, ensuring we are setting up future generations for success.
It is good to note that in addition to supporting the restoration of the earth’s atmosphere, CaptureCrete has been shown to strengthen the end product concrete produced. So, CaptureCrete is providing a vehicle for sequestering CO2 indefinitely, and we are helping the mechanism become just as resilient and everlasting.
Carbon Limit was recently named GreenBiz’s Startup of the Year at Verge 2023. What does this recognition mean for the company and its prospects?
We are honored to have won GreenBiz's Startup of the Year at Verge 2023, chosen among five other startup companies. This award recognizes the value of our platform, goals, and mission to create a more sustainable environment. It also underscores our role as industry innovators. This guiding classification will continue serving as our North Star as we expand our operations and impact into the years ahead.
How does Carbon Limit’s licensing model work, and what benefits does it offer to partners in terms of advancing an eco-conscious future?
Any company that wants to utilize CaptureCrete technology in its upcoming projects can contact Carbon Limit to become a licensee or project partner. Once approved, our team provides that licensed partner with the formula and ingredients for them to purchase and synthesize CaptureCrete themselves.
Becoming a licensee can be a more favorable option for businesses since it puts the power of producing as much CaptureCrete as needed in the hands of the project developers. They can continue to reference the formula as needed far into the future. It also helps bolster our efforts to expand access to sustainable built environment capabilities at a more rapid pace by cutting down on the time it would take to create the additive ourselves on a project-by-project basis. We believe that this combination of flexibility and versatility is crucial in making ESG goals seem that much more attainable for businesses to achieve, especially those who may be hesitant to take the initiative.
What are some upcoming projects or developments for Carbon Limit, and how do you envision the company’s role in the global effort to combat climate change?
We are planning an exciting new product launch and a range of major projects and philanthropic initiatives that we look forward to announcing throughout the second half of the year.
Where can readers find more information?
About Tim Sperry
Tim Sperry is the Founder and CEO of Carbon Limit, where he has spearheaded the development of pioneering negative emission and carbon capture technologies. He is a dedicated inventor and entrepreneur who led his company to create the world's first patented CO2-capturing concrete, CaptureCrete, which has revolutionized sustainable infrastructure.
Tim is renowned for his ability to cultivate innovative teams and build businesses that substantially impact the planet. His unwavering commitment to environmental innovation has inspired industry peers and earned Carbon Limit the prestigious title of GreenBiz’s Climate Tech Company of the Year at VERGE23 in 2023. Tim continues to drive his team toward achieving a more sustainable future.
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