Leading building materials company Holcim announced today a new partnership with energy company Eni, in an initiative aimed at repurposing CO2 from carbon capture to be used as a low emission raw material for the production of green cement.

Eni is working to store captured CO2 into olivine, a widely available mineral. Under the new partnership Holcim’s Innovation Center will explore the use of this carbonated olivine as a new low emission raw material for its green cement. According to the partners, the Carbon Capture, Utilization and Storage (CCUS) solution has the potential to become highly scalable, and it would enable the permanent sequestration of CO2 into building materials for greener construction.

Cement production accounts for approximately 8% of global carbon dioxide emissions, with over 900 kg of CO2 emissions generated for every 1000 kg of material produced. Holcim has placed green building solutions at the center of its growth strategy, through initiatives including accelerating growth through innovative building solutions such as its reduced emissions products ECOPact green concrete and ECOPlanet cement.

Edelio Bermejo, Head of Holcim’s Innovation Center, said:

 “The world needs transformational technologies to accelerate our transition to net zero. With the storage of CO2 in new minerals like olivine, we are expanding our range of green cement solutions, to make sustainable construction a reality around the world, while reducing the footprint of our operations. Our work with Eni is in line with our open innovation ecosystem, partnering with like-minded organizations, from startups to multinationals, to make a bigger difference together.”

Holcim stated that the company is currently mapping its most relevant sites in Europe to conduct industrial-scale pilots, to decarbonize its operations while expanding its green cement range. The company’s research team will focus on characterizing the mechanical properties of carbonated olivine in concrete production as a new breakthrough raw material.

Monica Spada, Eni’s Head of Research & Technological Innovation, said:

“Innovation and technological development are the strategic keys to successfully tackling the challenge of the energy transition, for this we are delighted about this collaboration, which will leverage Eni’s R&D expertise and Holcim’s experience. This technology allows us to accelerate on our path towards decarbonization, by providing a suitable solution for the hard-to-abate sectors.”