Materials
Clean Energy Grant Spurs Sublime to Build First Zero-Carbon Cement Plant
Construction to start later this year for facility to be located in Holyoke, Mass.
The casting process for concrete with Sublime cement was similar to a normal mud mat placement, says contractor Turner Construction, which used the product on a Boston-area project.
Photo courtesy of Sublime Systems
With a $46.7-million investment tax credit received Jan. 16 from the U.S. Dept. of Energy and Internal Revenue Service, zero-carbon cement manufacturer Sublime Systems can move forward on construction of a $150-million cement plant in Holyoke, Mass.
Sublime signed an agreement to acquire 16 acres in Holyoke for the plant that will be powered by hydroelectricity, helping the firm meet zero-carbon goals for its fully electrified cement manufacturing process. Cement production accounts for an estimated 8% of global carbon emissions today. Traditional cement is made from limestone, which is converted into clinker and then into cement.
The Sublime product is produced through an electrochemical process first developed at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology that releases no carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. It uses electrical energy to break down feedstocks into their constituent elements and reassembles the components into cement.
The cement is made without limestone or fossil-fuel-based kilns, with its manufacturing technology allowing the process to be powered by renewable sources, such as hydroelectric power. The process allows electrons to break down the ingredients at room temperatures, rather than the traditional method of heating limestone and clay, mixed with iron ore or fly ash, in a kiln up to 2,700°F. The final cement product can serve as a drop-in replacement for Portland cement on construction projects, with similar performance characteristics.
"This investment builds an even more resilient path towards scaling manufacturing in the U.S.," said Joe Hicken, Sublime vice president of business development and policy, who helped secure the federal grant. "We are really excited about the energy in the space and the investments and how we plan to onshore manufacturing," he noted. "Right now about 20% to 30% of the materials we use are imported from abroad. It's a way for us to manufacture more locally."
Sublime's cement has been used in concrete on projects by contractor Turner Construction in the Boston area, with the firm reporting it was delivered in ready-mix trucks as done on its other projects.
Hicken said Sublime is still in early estimates for the plant's costs, noting that its total engineering expense could change before construction begins later this year or early 2026, with completion set for 2027 or 2028.
Holyoke is colloquially referred to as The Paper City, having produced 80% of the nation’s writing paper in the late 19th century. The industrial site Sublime plans for its future plant is a property that formerly housed paper mills.
