The Technology Zero Corporation and Brimstone Energy
'The Technology Zero Corporation' and 'Brimstone' are companies that work to decarbonize the world. The companies' lab facilities are located in Oakland, California, and they are committed to building a first-of-a-kind demonstration plant in the United States. Finke and Leandri's commitment to decarbonizing industry
Founded by two former researchers from the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), Brimstone Energy is a cleantech startup in Berkeley, California, focusing on decarbonizing the cement industry. The company's process passively absorbs carbon dioxide (CO2) from limestone by replacing it with calcium silicate input. It has received grants from the World Materials Forum, Caltech, and PG&E.
The cement industry produces 7.5 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions. The United States alone generates more than one billion metric tons of cement per year. The goal of decarbonizing industrial production globally is achievable by 2050. While most sectors will have similar pathways to decarbonization, the intricacies of each industry require unique solutions.
The United States has been a leader in global industrial decarbonization efforts. It has taken concrete collaborative actions across countries to reduce CO2 emissions and support global standard setting efforts. As part of its support for these efforts, the United States joined the Industrial Deep Decarbonisation Initiative 55 (IDDI).
The Industrial Decarbonization Roadmap is a project that focuses on five CO2 emitting industries. It is led by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) and includes 13 companies from across industry sectors. The Roadmap is designed to accelerate the transition of industrial value chains to net-zero emissions.
In order to decarbonize industries, it will be necessary to make significant investments in new technologies. The federal government is already providing significant financial support. In the fiscal year 2021 budget, $510 million was allocated for industrial decarbonization. In addition to this funding, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law provides around $20 billion for key industrial provisions. This support includes an Advanced Industrial Facilities Deployment Program that invests around $6 billion in transformational technologies.
As more low-emissions industrial technologies become cheaper, more opportunities will arise. This will create a demand for a more low-carbon industrial ecosystem. However, a transition to decarbonization requires more commitment from industry and governments around the world. The United States should increase the profile of industrial decarbonization within the National Security Council and incorporate it into multilateral discussions.
The industrial sector is the largest contributor to global greenhouse gas emissions. According to IRENA, the chemicals, petrochemical, petroleum refining, and iron and steel industries represent approximately 55 percent of global industrial emissions. Brimstone's process is carbon-negative
Earlier this year, a startup called Brimstone Energy launched a series A funding round of $55 million. The company aims to make ordinary portland cement carbon-negative, and to do so with a process utilizing renewable energy. They're also designing a pilot plant that they hope to build outside of Reno, Nevada by 2023.
Brimstone's process consists of using calcium silicate rocks to create lime instead of limestone. Lime is a key ingredient in cement. The problem with making cement with limestone is that the limestone releases a huge amount of CO2 into the air when it's heated.
The Brimstone process uses a different rock, which does not have embedded CO2. This allows the company to avoid the carbon-intensive heating process used in conventional cement production. The process is also environmentally friendly, as it does not require any leaching agents.
The company has a few patents pending, including a process that produces the carbon-negative equivalent of a mortar cube. It also has a nifty new process that produces magnesium as a byproduct. In addition to its cement making process, Brimstone also has a process for producing a supplementary cementitious material that meets the ASTM definition of pozzolan.
The company has also raised $55 million in pre-revenue funding from a consortium of major investors, including Fifth Wall, Amazon, and Mogul, Inc. While they've yet to make a formal announcement, Brimstone has shown off its process and its cement by showcasing a 2-inch3 carbon-negative mortar cube.
There's no denying that Brimstone's process is a feat of engineering. The process uses renewable energy to produce the required lime, which results in a carbon-negative cement. The process also makes a supplementary cementitious material, which is a big deal. But, the real buzz is the fact that they're the first company to do so.
Using calcium silicate rocks instead of limestone to create cement may seem like a no-brainer, but it's actually a lot harder than it sounds. The company uses an ingenious process to produce a compound that permanently removes carbon from the atmosphere. While this may be a big deal, it's still not going to be easy to replicate on a large scale. Their lab facilities are in Oakland, California
Using a carbon-negative technique to make cement, Brimstone Energy is on the cutting edge of technology. The company's main lab facilities are located in Oakland, California, with secondary facilities in Ketchum, Idaho. The company has already received $2 million in grants from the National Science Foundation and is a member of the Association for Science and Technology in Higher Education (ASTHE), a nifty little organization devoted to bringing science to the classroom.
The company has also made a splash in the Bay Area by launching Technology Zero, a research center that will conduct studies on the impact of energy on the environment and health. The lab is located in a former Wells Fargo bank building in downtown Oakland. Its latest project is to demonstrate that solar energy can be used to generate electricity to run air conditioning and heat.
Using a carbon-negative technique to manufacture cement, Brimstone Energy is on the cusp of eliminating 8% of global CO2 emissions from the manufacturing process. The company is also in the midst of developing a new technology to generate electricity from hydrogen produced by water. While the company hasn't nailed down a clear path to a pilot plant, the company is lining up a 55 million dollar funding round to get things moving. The company hasn't released a timeline for its next round of bets, but it is on track to become a national presence by 2023.
The company also has a couple of patents to its name, including one in the tiniest of places. The company has received several awards for its cutting edge technology, including the best new start up designation by the California Technology Agency. For its part, the company has already moved some of its operations to the burgeoning East Bay tech corridor. The lab has a modest footprint, with 27,000 square feet of usable space available. Their commitment to building a first-of-a-kind demonstration plant in the United States
Earlier this year, the startup company Solidia announced it had raised a record round of funding of more than $60 million. The company's success has drawn a lot of attention. Its board of directors includes Air Liquide, Kleiner Perkins Caufield Byers, and BASF. Other investors include Osage University Partners, Impact Science Ventures, SystemIQ, and Amazon's Climate Pledge Fund.
The startup's breakthrough process for making Ordinary Portland Cement enables the company to solve the emissions and raw material scarcity problems of the cement industry. It also produces cement that is chemically identical to conventionally manufactured cement, but does not release CO 2. The company's process sequesters CO2 from the air and produces magnesium species as a waste product.
The company is also working to engage other organizations and cement companies that would like to invest in the company's project. It is also actively hiring chemical engineers and people with experience in the cement industry. As Brimstone grows, the company plans to begin a partnership program that will offer early access to its technology. The company has already announced a series A investment led by Breakthrough Energy Ventures (BEV) and DCVC, with other investors including Collaborative Fund, AccelR8, Fifth Wall Climate Tech, and Amazon's Climate Pledge Fund.
Brimstone plans to use its fundraising to build a pilot plant. This demonstration plant will produce building-scale Ordinary Portland Cement from calcium silicate rock intworth.com. Its process is carbon-negative and independent of the fuel source used in the kiln. The company plans to supply governments and organizations with tried-and-true building materials while also providing sequestered carbon. The breakthrough will also produce cement at or below market prices. The company is able to solve the problems of emissions and raw material scarcity without increasing the price of its cement.
Brimstone has also launched the “First Builders” program to provide early access to its technology to a select group of people. This initiative will be open to organizations that have not yet purchased concrete or Ordinary Portland Cement. As Brimstone scales, the company plans to provide concrete and Ordinary Portland Cement to those organizations at discounted prices.