A new company that makes lower-carbon cement from the carbon dioxide captured from the flue of a conventional cement plant has opened its first facility in Redding, California.
The new facility by start-up Fortera is connected to CalPortland’s existing cement plant in Redding.
Fortera says it will capture 6,600 tons of CO2 emissions a year from CalPortland’s flue to produce 15,000 tons of its “ReAct” cement, which produces 70% lower emissions than ordinary cement.
Its plant mineralises the captured gas into its lower-carbon cement, a form of calcium carbonate, using a lower kiln temperature – 1,100ºC rather than 1,450ºC, it says.
The company hopes to go net zero in the future by using renewable power to heat its kilns.
By June, its ReAct cement will be available for ready-mix suppliers.
Fortera says ReAct is ASTM-approved, exhibits the same strength and durability as ordinary cement, and complies with existing regulations.
Fortera chief executive Ryan Gilliam said: “While significant, we recognise this is one step in a much larger effort to reach commercialisation globally”.
