Argos USA channels cement kiln-derived CO2 to ready mixed concrete

Sources: CP staff; CarbonCure Technologies, Halifax, N.S.

Argos USA has anchored a five-member consortium targeting a closed loop model of carbon dioxide capture and recycling in cement and concrete production. In an early-2018 demonstration, the company used CO2 from its Calera, Ala., cement plant in commercial concrete produced at its Glenwood, Ga., batch plant. That Atlanta-area ready mixed operation is among nearly 100 sites, primarily in the U.S., equipped with CarbonCure Technologies CO2 storage and injection devices. The CarbonCure process uses the greenhouse gas to promote cement hydration in high to zero slump concrete.

Joining Argos and CarbonCure in the consortium are Sustainable Energy Solutions, a cyrogenic CO2 capture technology developer; Praxair, a specialist in delivery of CO2 and other industrial gases; and, Kline Consulting LLC, whose principal, 21-year Lafarge Group veteran John Kline, oversaw the Argos USA cement-concrete demonstration. The closed loop CO2 project is an extension of CarbonCure’s participation in the $20 million NRG COSIA Carbon XPRIZE Challenge, which incentivizes and accelerates development of integrated carbon capture and utilization methods.