Sources: CarbonCure Technologies, Inc., Halifax, N.S.; CP staff
Developer-led green building technology investment group 350 Capital, Toronto, has taken a stake of undisclosed sum in CarbonCure, whose carbon dioxide injection process is in the early stages of commercialization among concrete masonry producers Atlas Block, Hillsdale, Ontario; Shaw Brick, Lantz, Nova Scotia; and Basalite Concrete Products, Dixon, Calif.
The process imparts post-industrial sourced CO2 in block machines’ feed drawers, fostering a semi-porous concrete matrix by marrying calcium ions with the carbon gas. Expressing enthusiasm for the CarbonCure technology, which also accelerates strength development in concrete block while sequestering CO2, 350 Capital President Jamie James notes, “We anticipate significant growth in Ontario, thanks to the ongoing success of Toronto’s construction industry and the relationship between CarbonCure and Atlas Block.”
James is confident that once full production is under way at Atlas Block, market adoption of CO2-cured concrete masonry units can be “rapid and straightforward.” As founder of a green-building technology accelerator firm called Tower Labs@MaRS, he encountered CarbonCure block on a charter project—a Whole Foods parking structure—at Hullmark Centre in North York, Ont. He and 350 Capital’s development-wise investors seek returns on products and technologies that support the greening of the high-rise construction industry. Architects, engineers, and contractors—along with LEED certification-minded project builders and clients—acknowledge a product like CarbonCure, which sequesters CO2 in a permanent limestone or calcium carbonate form.
Responding to 350 Capital’s commitment, CarbonCure President Robert Niven noted, “We see their investment as a major confirmation of our approach. Together with Atlas Block, we plan to deliver the most sustainable concrete products available to Canada’s top developers.”