Concrete

World’s biggest cement producers bet on green alternative

Holcim and CRH announced a $75 million investment.

Published

1 year ago

September 27, 2024

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Two of the world’s biggest cement producers, Holcim AG and CRH PLC, are investing in a startup attempting to decarbonize the cement production process. Cement and concrete are responsible for about 8% of emissions, more than any other industrial sector.

Holcim and CRH announced a $75 million investment into Sublime Systems, including a promise to purchase green cement from the startup’s pilot facilities and to work with Sublime on additional plant sites. (CRH invested through its venture arm.) Somerville, Massachusetts-based Sublime has developed an electrochemical method of cement production that avoids the process of heating up limestone with kilns powered by fossil fuels.

Reducing cement emissions has long been a technological and economic challenge. Cement is essential to making concrete, and to roads, buildings and other critical infrastructure. But the material’s production generates carbon dioxide emissions from burning fuel (often coal) to heat kilns, from the decomposition of limestone and from quarrying, grinding and transforming the materials.

In tests at its 250-ton-per-year pilot plant, Sublime has been able to demonstrate a 90% reduction in CO2 emissions compared to traditional concrete, according to Leah Ellis, co-founder and chief executive officer. The company is developing a commercial plant in Holyoke, Massachusetts, that would have a capacity of 30,000 tons per year and is set to be completed in 2026. The Energy Department’s Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations will fund up to 50% of that plant’s construction.

Ellis said Sublime’s goal is to provide its technology to larger cement companies with existing infrastructure and supply chains, which would either build new cement plants with the tech or retrofit old ones.

While Sublime’s process generates far fewer emissions, there are many hurdles the company and others like it need to overcome before they can commercialize successfully. One major limitation is the significant capital costs associated with retrofitting cement plants — often large, custom operations — or building new ones.

Another is demand: Low-carbon cement remains more expensive, on average, than traditional cement, making it a hard sell for a construction industry that already operates on razor-thin margins. New regulations, including New York’s mandate for state agencies to buy clean concrete, could help boost demand, said Ash Lauth, a senior campaign strategist for the global cement initiative at Industrious Labs, a US-based nonprofit focused on industrial decarbonization. But the industry still has a long way to go: Last week, Industrious Labs published an analysis that gave Holcim a “D” grade on its sustainability efforts.

“While we’re encouraged that Holcim is investing in Sublime’s innovative technology, we also still want them to show up for the rest of the ways to decarbonize… and work towards issuing a clear and transparent plan for how they’re going to decarbonize their existing US fleets,” Lauth said. Nollaig Forrest, Holcim’s chief sustainability officer, said Holcim is among “the only players in our sector that really takes a whole value chain approach to decarbonizing building at scale.”

The investment from Holcim and CRH brings Sublime’s total funding to over $200 million since its founding in 2020. It’s another signal of confidence in the startup, which was one of six projects selected for the Energy Department’s $1.6 billion program to fund cement and concrete decarbonization.

Related Topics:CRH Plc Holcim AG Sublime

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Concrete

Niraj Cement JV Wins Railway and Metro Contracts

Two orders worth over Rs 1.64 billion boost infrastructure portfolio

Published

3 days ago

December 11, 2025

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Niraj Cement Structurals (JV) has secured two major contracts from the Northeast Frontier Railway (NF Railway) and the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA), strengthening its position in large-scale infrastructure development.

The first contract, valued at Rs 815.2 million, has been awarded by NF Railway. It involves the construction of multiple-span 12.20-metre PSC slab underpasses, a major bridge (No. 727), retaining and guide walls, embankments and one minor bridge along the proposed UP and Down line near Deepor Beel. The project covers Km 163/00 to 164/200 between Azara and Kamakhya stations and forms part of the New Bongaigaon–Goalpara Town–Kamakhya (NBQ–GLPT–KYQ) railway doubling programme.

The second contract, worth Rs 826.6 million, has been awarded by MMRDA for constructing a foot overbridge (FOB) equipped with a travellator to improve connectivity between the SGMC monorail station and the Mahalaxmi metro and suburban railway stations.

The two projects underscore the company’s technical capabilities in both transportation infrastructure and environmentally sensitive construction, further strengthening its portfolio in key railway and urban mobility developments.

Concrete

Peddapalli MP Seeks Clear Timelines for Rs 42.10 Bn Projects

Peddapalli MP Gaddam Vamshi Krishna has urged the Union Government to specify execution timelines for major infrastructure projects worth Rs 42.10 billion in his constituency.

Published

3 days ago

December 11, 2025

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Peddapalli MP Gaddam Vamshi Krishna has called on the Centre to provide definitive timelines for a series of sanctioned infrastructure works that he said are essential for the region’s economic progress. Speaking in the Lok Sabha, he stressed that many approved projects remain stalled without clear implementation schedules, limiting their potential impact on connectivity and employment.

A key pending work is the Peddapalli–Manuguru Railway Line, a 137 km stretch linking Peddapalli with Manuguru in Bhadradri Kothagudem district. Although the line has received required approvals and special project status, the execution schedule has not yet been announced. The project is expected to support freight efficiency, improve coal logistics, and strengthen local job creation.

Extending his appeal beyond physical infrastructure, the MP urged the Centre to consider including Peddapalli in the India Semiconductor Mission, citing the district’s industrial ecosystem, skilled workforce, and readiness to support advanced manufacturing.

By pressing for structured timelines, Krishna emphasised the need for coordinated planning and timely execution to advance the constituency’s long-term development goals.

Concrete

IndiaAI, Gujarat Govt Host Regional Conclave Ahead of 2026 AI Summit

A regional pre-summit event in Gandhinagar recently gathered leaders to advance AI for good governance.

Published

3 days ago

December 11, 2025

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The IndiaAI Mission under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, along with the Government of Gujarat and IIT Gandhinagar, convened a Regional Pre-Summit Event at Mahatma Mandir, Gandhinagar. The initiative is part of the build-up to the India–AI Impact Summit 2026, scheduled for 15–20 February 2026 at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi.

The conclave brought together senior policymakers, technology leaders, researchers and industry practitioners to examine how AI can accelerate economic, digital and social transformation across sectors. The programme focused on the overarching theme of ‘AI for Good Governance: Empowering India’s Digital Future’.

The inaugural session featured key dignitaries including Bhupendrabhai Rajnikant Patel, Chief Minister of Gujarat; Harsh Rameshbhai Sanghavi, Deputy Chief Minister of Gujarat; Arjunbhai Devabhai Modhwadia, Minister for Science & Technology, Government of Gujarat; Manoj Kumar Das, Chief Secretary, Government of Gujarat; Abhishek Singh, Additional Secretary, MeitY and Director General, NIC; and Ponugumatla Bharathi, Secretary, Department of Science & Technology, Government of Gujarat.

High-impact keynote sessions led by national and global experts from MeitY, Bhashini, Google Cloud, Microsoft, IBM Research, NVIDIA, Oracle and AWS examined themes including AI in governance, public service delivery, urban development, rural transformation, healthcare, agriculture, fintech and multilingual accessibility enabled through Bhashini.
Delegates also visited an Experience Zone curated by IndiaAI and DST Gujarat, which showcased AI solutions across governance, agriculture, health and industry.

By convening government, industry and academic stakeholders, the conclave aimed to strengthen India’s AI ecosystem through frameworks that prioritise trust, scalability and public interest. Insights generated from the event will contribute directly to the agenda and outcomes of the India–AI Impact Summit 2026.