Sources: Glenwood Property Management, CarbonQuest, New York City; CP staff
Brooklyn-based Glenwood Mason Supply will source CarbonQuest “Sustainable CO,” processed from New York City apartment building mechanical flue exhaust, for concrete masonry unit (CMU) production incorporating CarbonCure Technologies’ carbon dioxide mineralizing method. CarbonQuest engineers collection and separation assemblies to purify and liquify CO2 from commercial building mechanicals. Stored in high pressure, portable tanks, the compound is then transferred to “off takers.”
Glenwood Supply’s Superior Block operation injects CO2 in fresh mixes, where the compound mineralizes for permanent sequestration and contributes to compressive strength development and other engineering properties. At normal dosing, the CarbonCure process consumes 1.1 lbs. or 0.5 kg of CO2 in 30 standard (8- x 16-in.) CMU.
After a 2022 Broadway property pilot installation, Glenwood Management (unaffiliated with the producer) plans Q1 deployment of modular CarbonQuest Building Carbon Capture Systems at five additional Manhattan towers. In urban setting terms, the firm is poised to harbor the first large-scale installation of equipment capturing CO2 from buildings prior to emitting into the atmosphere.
“Federal and city legislation are incentivizing technology that can drive emissions reduction at a building level,” says Glenwood Management Senior Vice President Josh London. “With the success of our first CarbonQuest system, we are excited to roll out the technology to more of our portfolio, leveraging carbon capture alongside other technologies to reduce our emissions and gain compliance with local regulations.”
Building Carbon Capture System installations dovetail adoption of New York City Local Law 97, which in 2024 will begin to penalize commercial properties based on their CO2 emissions. At current carbon metrics, the six Glenwood Management properties would incur roughly $7 million in penalties through 2029, followed by $15 million from 2030 to 2034. The CarbonQuest installations stand to eliminate them entirely.
“CarbonQuest is the only cost-effective, nondisruptive solution offering an immediate pathway to meaningful building decarbonization, and we view this expanded partnership with Glenwood Management as a testament to the instant value realized through our pilot project,” observes CarbonQuest Chief Operating Officer Brian Asparro. “With New York City’s building emission penalties set to go into effect next year, property owners are looking for innovative ways to decarbonize. And while improving energy efficiency is part of the equation, capturing carbon before it is emitted is also a critical part of the path to decarbonization.”