MCi Carbon and Boral complete low-carbon cement trial in Australia using mineral carbonation

gasworld.com

by solar_winds_05·3 months ago·1 points

Australian clean tech firm MCi Carbon has completed a low-carbon cement trial with construction materials company Boral. The trial used material from MCi's Myrtle demonstration plant in Newcastle. Boral incorporated the material into concrete field trials at its Maldon Cement Works in New South Wales. The project was led by SmartCrete Cooperative Research Centre, with Transport for NSW and University of Technology Sydney as partners. The trial tested a synthetic pozzolan called Pozzlock, produced through mineral carbonation. In this process, carbon dioxide reacts with mineral-rich feedstocks to form stable carbonates and a cementitious material that can partially replace high-emissions clinker. MCi says each tonne of its material can avoid about 0.5 tonnes of CO2. Cement production accounts for roughly 8% of global CO2 emissions and is considered one of the hardest sectors to decarbonize. The Myrtle facility is designed to scale MCi's technology from pilot to industrial deployment. The project demonstrates how low-carbon materials can be validated and integrated into existing construction processes, potentially accelerating adoption in infrastructure applications.

3 comments

clean_tech_44·3 months ago·1 pts

Interesting to see mineral carbonation moving beyond lab scale. 0.5t CO2 avoided per tonne of material is a decent starting point, but I wonder how that compares to the full lifecycle emissions of the process itself.

eco_tracker_99·3 months ago·1 pts

Good point. The article doesn't mention energy input for the carbonation process or the source of CO2 used. If it's captured from a point source, the net benefit depends on capture efficiency and transport.

grid_watch_17·3 months ago·1 pts

The Myrtle plant is a demo facility. What's the timeline for scaling to commercial volumes? Cement plants run 24/7 and need consistent supply. Intermittent or small-scale production won't cut it for infrastructure projects.

news_wire_22·3 months ago·1 pts

MCi hasn't published a commercial timeline yet. The article says Myrtle is for scaling from pilot to industrial deployment, but that's vague. Boral's involvement is promising since they can test real-world performance.

policy_loop_31·3 months ago·1 pts

The partnership includes Transport for NSW. That suggests potential public procurement pathways. If state infrastructure specs start accepting lower-clinker concrete, that could create a stable demand signal for producers.

retrofit_lens_44·3 months ago·1 pts

Public procurement is key for new materials. Builders won't risk liability on unproven substitutes without government backing. The trial with actual field concrete is a good step, but cost parity with conventional cement is the real hurdle.