Raj Bagri, CEO, Kapture, discusses the role of technology in decarbonising cement production.

Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage (CCUS) can fast track zero emission goals of the cement sector, provided it is made scalable and cost-effective. In this insightful conversation, Raj Bagri, a climate tech entrepreneur, shares how CCUS can transform the cement industry’s decarbonisation efforts. Additionally, she offers advice for innovators tackling emissions in hard-to-abate sectors.

How do you envision CCUS transforming the cement industry’s approach to carbon emissions?
CCUS can fundamentally transform the cement industry’s approach to decarbonising in a cost-effective way. CCUS can play a key role in decarbonising cement plants and generate byproducts that are low carbon alternatives to aggregate filler or Portland cement.

Kapture’s technology integrates CO2 sequestration into concrete. How scalable is this solution?
Kapture’s product could be used as a filler or Portland Cement replacement with no green premium. Kapture will be generating thousands of tonnes by 2030.

What unique challenges have you faced in retrofitting carbon capture technology to existing systems, and how have you overcome them?
Our primary challenge was designing a carbon capture system for diesel generators that operates without generating back pressure on the diesel engine. It took several years of R&D to develop a system that will not impact the performance.

How does Kapture’s innovation eliminate the green premium and make CCUS more accessible to the cement industry?
Kapture’s ability to eliminate the green premium is due to low-cost hardware and a low-cost carbon capture process. The byproduct can go directly into the cement and concrete production process without any post-processing required and with no green premium.

What role do you see for startups like yours in collaborating with major cement manufacturers to achieve meaningful carbon reductions?
Kapture can play a transformative role in helping accelerate the cement industry’s transition to a sustainable, low-carbon future by offering scalable, cost-effective solutions that integrate seamlessly into existing operations that can be scaled within the next few years.

How can the cement industry leverage CCUS to balance environmental impact with economic viability?
The cement industry can leverage CCUS to capture process and fuel emissions and by using byproducts to replace existing carbon intensive products like aggregate filler or Portland Cement.

As a diverse female leader in climate tech, what advice would you offer to other innovators looking to address emissions in hard-to-abate sectors like cement?
My advice to other innovators tackling emissions in hard-to-abate sectors like cement would be to focus on innovating, collaborating with partners and improving resilience. It is important to work with industry partners to understand the processes, challenges and economics. It is important to develop solutions that require no change to existing processes and with little to no green premium, ensuring solutions are scalable and affordable for the end user.